The Key Keeper
by elorlan
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia was forced from her home after it was discovered she possessed the most valuable known Spirit Keys in Earthland. As Lucy was hiding from the many that wanted her keys, she meets a guild full of aspiring adventurers called Fairy Tail, that know nothing about her identity and her precious keys.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Thanks for considering to read this fanfic! Be warned that this fanfic isn't focused on Nalu, but there are several things here and there. As well as a few other pairings like Gruvia and Gale. I'm sorry if your favorite character isn't included in the story. I wasn't able to fit in all of the Fairy Tail guild in. I hope you like it! Enjoy!**

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Lucy ran. She ran faster than she had ever run before. Her black cloak waved behind her as she sprinted through the thick woods that seemed endless. It was nearly impossible to distinguish the cloaked figure from the eerie darkness of the forest. Her only source of light was the glowing stars that looked like grains of salt spilled throughout the sky.

Any other time, it would've brought her comfort and warm memories of her mother, but now she had forgotten the sky even existed. Her mind was only focused on running and nothing more. Her legs ached profusely and her throat burned huffing in the brisk air, but she didn't dare slow down. Her nose stung and tingled like thousands of the tiniest of needles were pricking her.

Lucy's hands reached to her belt in search of the pouch of silver and gold keys that never left her side. When her numb fingers found it, she clutched the pouch protectively and let out a hefty sigh of relief. The keys filled her with a strange, but familiar warmth. One that was strikingly similar to the presence of her mother. They were a burden on her, but she'd never give them up.

Her mother entrusted her with the keys. She'd protect them whatever the cost, just as her mother did. Even if her life was on the line. She'd die before anyone took the keys from her. Lucy knew they held a great amount of significance for her and her mother. It seemed like the keys held her mother in them and touching them made her feel immediately closer to her. They were one of her only comforts, along with the vast night sky, ever since the death of her mother.

Lucy didn't look back. She didn't dare. The only thing she knew to do now was run and look ahead. She had no idea if they were on her tail. They could be right behind her, a mere arm's length away, their hands reaching out to grab her from behind. Lucy's heart quickened at the thought. The uncertainty brought her immense anxiety and paranoia, but she willed herself stay hopeful.

She'd keep running until she died if she had to. She had to make it there. With every step, she knew she was getting closer and that thought willed her forward. She already messed up once and it had cost her everything. She couldn't make another mistake. She wouldn't make another mistake, or surely all hope for her was lost. They knew and that fact pained Lucy. They knew she had the keys and she couldn't change that. But she could make sure they never got their hands on them. Even so, she knew just like she'd stop at nothing to keep them safe, they'd stop at nothing to take them for themselves.

-Crash Course for Your Convenience-

There are many Key Keepers in Earthland and many keys as well. Keys come in many different types but come in two main categories: silver and gold. Silver keys are easier to find, easier to use, weaker in power, and lesser in value. There are keys based on flowers, people, gods, elements, emotions, and so on. But the most valuable known keys are the gold Celestial Spirit Gate Keys, which are currently in the possession of Lucy Heartfilia. Other Key Keepers and the guilds they support would do anything to get their hands on them.

The keys opened up rooms in a series of large towers scattered throughout Earthland called Keeper towers, or more commonly simply just towers. Towers have an official name that is magically generated in a record of all the keys in existence. Its theorized that a new tower appears after a certain number of keys has been produced in Earthland. Once all the rooms in a tower are completed, it disappears from existence. It is also rumored that once a tower is completed, a gold key appears in Earthland. The rooms hold many monsters and creatures, as well as the spirit themselves. The rooms hold many rare treasures and gave you immense wealth, that is if you're able to complete the rooms. Key Keepers team up with guilds made up of adventures that help complete the rooms or, less commonly, solo adventurers.

Keys and Towers appear naturally from an unknown source in nature. There are many theories surrounding the purpose of keys and its magic, but little to no answers have been found regarding the topic. They first appeared in X100. Their existence was unknown to civilization until the discovery of the first tower three years later and the birth of the first Key Keeper in X105. From then on, there was a steady progression of towers, Key Keepers, and Keys throughout Earthland. Information was gathered on the towers and their existence became more known, as well as accepted throughout. The thirty year period after the Guild Center was created in X115, in which guilds were formed and appearance of keys, Key Keepers, and towers, is known as The Gate Way.

It's also important to note, that once a room is completed, the room and its key are supposedly taken from existence. However, it is rumored that a spirit can latch onto a Keeper and become a continuous aid to them and whoever the spirit's assistance is granted, however, there have been little to no reported instances of this ever occurring. If a room is failed, the key disappears and reappears somewhere else hidden for another Keeper to find it. This is what makes keys so valuable. They grant you the ability to great power and wealth, but if mess up it can all slip through your fingers and into another's.

Key Keppers are the only ones with the ability to use a key. They inherited the ability from a relative or are born spontaneously with the ability. That is why it is very important for beginning guilds or solo adventurers to get a Key Keeper. A Key Keeper can use any type of key, but there is usually specific types that are better suited for each one. The result of using a key type that isn't best suited for the Key Keeper could be the failure to open its room, inability to leave a room, difficulties when transporting into the room, and/or creatures and things that don't belong in the room or these things missing from the room. In many instances, this has lead to the disappearance of the Key Keeper and their party. Using a key incorrectly can also have similar outcomes.

All Key Keepers and a very small amount of humans have the ability to feel the power of a key, though many are unaware of the skill. Key Keepers also have a certain amount of the same magic that makes key and towers appear within them. The amount of power that a Key Keeper holds isn't very important regarding silver keys but can come into play when trying to use gold keys. It is possible for a Key Keeper to not have enough power to open gold key room. It is possible to increase the amount of power through training, but the existence of this power is unknown to most Key Keepers.

-Earlier that night-

Lucy read a large book in the private library about astrology. The book was rather large and filled with brilliant pictures of stars and neatly formatted paragraphs about them that Lucy admired endlessly. Her heart filled with bitter-sweet remembrance. It was her mother's work. Her pride and joy after Lucy. Layla Heartfilia taught her daughter everything in the book at a young age, but Lucy never failed to read it over and over and still find it fascinating. With every word she read, she could hear her mother's sweet voice, feel the warmth of her hug, and smell the comforting aroma of vanilla and aging books.

As Lucy finished the last page, she looked up with a timid sadness. She reached to her side and took the keys from their usual place on her belt and set the leather pouch that contained them on the table. She eyed it for a moment; debating whether or not it would cheer her up to look at them or bring her more sadness. She sighed and, despite the slight aching she felt in her heart, took out the keys and examined them. She had thirteen gold keys. One for every astronomical constellation and a thirteenth that her mother hadn't told her much about. She then had five silver keys that were lesser in value. She found them all to be rather beautiful, but it frustrated her how little she knew about them. Her mother had treasured them so much. She wished she were here to tell her about them.

Lucy heard a knock on the door and quickly returned the keys back to their place on her side. She hated the feeling of heat that she felt in her flushed faces and her heart that fluttered anxiously. She quickly reached out her arm and picked up another smaller fiction book about forbidden love. She didn't know why she felt the need to hind the fact that she was reading her mother's book. Maybe she didn't want to worry others or maybe she just wanted it to be a private ordeal; something close and personal to her.

"Come in," Lucy called sweetly as soon as her face wasn't as warm. Lucy's eyes widened in alarm as a small maid quickly came in, locking the library door with one of the small iron keys around her neck. She looked at Lucy with panicked eyes that dug into her like daggers. Lucy had seen that expression before, upon the discovery of her mother's death. The maid's small chest heaved up and down out of breath. Lucy could her an intense thumping in her ears. Something horrid rose in her chest. The maid ran towards Lucy frantically.

"Miss Lucy. It's happened." Lucy's eyes widened with instant terror. No trace of warmth from before was present, as she was now deathly pale and chilled to her core. She knew what it was immediately. "They're coming towards the house. Hundreds of them. Someone must've told." Lucy could feel tears pooling in her eyes. Her whole body shook. She grasped her chest in hopes of relieving the throbbing lump that had developed in her chest that was twisting with panic and fear. "Lucy, I'm so sorry. Mr. Jude has ordered me to send you away immediately." The young maid's voice trembled, struggling to get out the hurried words.

"H-how. I can't leave all of you here! What if they hurt you!" Lucy cried to the maid. The girl shook her head. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

"Lucy, you mustn't worry. It's our job. Layla entrusted us with your safety. We will protect you will our life, Lucy Heartfilia. Now quickly, take these. I'll show you to a passageway in the fireplace. You have your keys, keep them safe," The young maid handed Lucy a cloak, a pouch full of money, a lantern, and a small dagger. She gave Lucy a small smile. It was filled with a dreadful sadness, but meek hopefulness as well.

With a painful effort, Lucy put the cloak on, tied the pouch to her belt, slid the dagger in her boot, and followed the maid to the fireplace at the front of the library. Her movements were heavy and sluggish. Too real for her to even consider this being a dream. The maid found a seemly ordinary brick a pushed it. It made a clicking sound and the base of the fireplace slide open with a low churn. The maid lit the lantern quickly.

"The passage leads to the forest. You will want to head to the spring with the waterfall your mother always took you to. Behind the waterfall is a cave. You'll be safe there for the night. Don't bring the lantern out of the passage. Don't speak to anyone and avoid eye contact." The maid instructed. Lucy nodded and the maid gave a concerned look. "And Lucy, Run. Run and don't stop until you're safe." Lucy hugged the maid. She didn't want to let go, but she had to, and if was so hard. She slipped inside the passage. She couldn't turn her back, but as the base of the fireplace slid back into place, and the pounding of the library doors began, Lucy knew she had to.

-Current Time-

Lucy heard the familiar roaring of the waterfall and smelt the cold dampness of the spring. The moonlight danced on the waterfall beautifully. She had never been to the waterfall at night. It was immensely beautiful. She only wished she could've experienced it at a better time. Lucy carefully slid along the base of the large rock structure that the waterfall fell from, clinging to the rock in front of her. She slipped through the small opening at the side of the waterfall, careful not to get wet.

Behind the rushing water was dark. Lucy shivered. She didn't dare go fully into the cave or she'd surely lose her mind in the darkness. Instead, she sat shallowly inside it, so she could still see the peaceful twinkle of a blueish light sprinkle on the water. It comforted her as she wrapped herself in a tight ball. She felt her heart tighten and her throat start to ache. She eyes brimmed with tears. Her tears dropped like the waterfall she watched. She cried silently to herself. She was all alone and afraid of what tomorrow would bring her. It seemed like in that moment she'd never find warmth again.

* * *

Natsu sat in front of the fire bored as he often found himself doing during the night. His guildmates all had fallen asleep leaving him awake and bored and eager for daytime. He watched the flames dance and flicker and occasionally shift when the wood burnt too much to support itself. He was always so mesmerized by it and sometimes he was able to forget anything else existed.

Natsu felt very small in that moment and the world felt so big. This was why Natsu didn't like silence. It made him doubt himself and have thoughts like that. He didn't like nights either, as it allowed things to hide and mask themselves. Silence and darkness together were rather deadly. Natsu found it extremely isolating. Even though the fire was right in front of Natsu, chills ran through him.

His guild desperately needed to get stronger. But in order to do that they need a Key Keeper. Everyone they had found refused because the guild was so small and weak. Natsu was the one that lifted everyone's spirits, that kept them motivated, he couldn't afford to doubt himself or to doubt his friends. But sometimes he thought that maybe he was feeding them false hope and he knew for certain his friends wouldn't hold onto such a hope for much longer. They were getting restless, and so was he.

While Natsu was sure the nine of them would become stronger, and he hoped immensely the strongest, he knew that they wouldn't really make any progress without a Key Keeper.

He couldn't let himself forget that this was only the beginning for them. Good things were to come.

Good things came to those who wait. Natsu hoped he didn't have to wait long cause his patience was running out. He wanted to become stronger. He wanted to protect who he cared for like he wasn't able to before. He forced himself to remember what he was getting stronger for. The memories hurt him, but they made him tougher. As long as he had them and his friends, Natsu wouldn't stop fighting. This made Natsu give himself and his sleeping friends a small grin.

They'd be the best. He knew they would. All they needed was a Key Keeper.

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 **I'll try and update frequently but this one has a bit of a more intricate plot and I want to make sure the chapters are up to par and the story heads in the right direction. In other words, don't freak out if it takes a couple weeks to give you a chapter.**

 **Thanks for taking the time to read.**

 **Have a lovely day and review and let me know what you think. It's really appreciated.**

Edited and refined: 1/29/2018


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter two! Hope you enjoy. :)**

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Lucy could see the distorted daybreak sky. It looked like an abstract painting with beautiful hues of mild pink, pale purple, fiery orange, and cloudy blue. Lucy couldn't help but smile. The sight of the sky never failed to bring her comfort. Lucy rested her chin on her knees and stared at the glossy screen of colors the refreshing sound of running water humming in her ears.

The morning was cool, especially behind the cold water of the spring. The chilled damp air smelt invigorating. She would gladly stay there forever if she could, but she couldn't stay in one place for too long, or else she'd be found. Lucy was prepared to emerge from behind the waterfall when she heard voices murmuring. Lucy sunk deeper into the cave and listened to the voices.

"You look terrible, flame-brain. Did you get any sleep?" A voice laughed. The voice was deep but infused with amiable amusement.

"Shut up, ice princess. It's one of your business." A second voice grumbled with light-hearted annoyance. There was a playful growl type sound in the voice that Lucy found peculiar. The voice dripped with mellow optimism that Lucy hadn't heard in a long while. The liveliness of the voices was foreign to Lucy, yet brightened her if only the slightest bit.

"I know what'll wake you up." The first voice said mischievously. Lucy heard a splash. An unclear vision of someone falling into the water showed through the waterfall. There was a jolly chuckling sound that lasted for a long moment. Lucy nearly giggled herself before smuggling the urge quickly.

"You little-frozen shit! I'll get you for that!" The second voice shouted. It was meant to sound angry, but there was laughed in it. Lucy almost snickered once more but managed to only give out a small snuffle. She watched as the distorted man pulled the other into the water.

The two shouted and wrestled. Huge spurts of water shot all over. Lucy was genuinely amused, she had to admit.

"Gray! Look what I found!" the second voice exclaimed suddenly popping from the water. The figure held up something small in his hand rather triumphantly.

"A key! Dude, score!" The first voice exclaimed happily. Lucy's eyes widened and she examined her keys. All of them were still there. They must've discovered a new one. "What's that little moon and star mean?"

"Not sure but it's still a key. I don't care what kind." The second voice said enthusiastically.

"But, Natsu, don't we need a Key Keeper to even use one." The voices became farther away as a closer sound filled Lucy's ears.

Lucy heard a growling noise behind her. She turned her head around slowly to see two glowing red eyes. Lucy yelped and backed away from the cave.

"Oi, you hear that?" Natsu asked. The two figures trudged toward the waterfall. Lucy had run into quite a predicament. She pulled out her dagger and held it up to the serpent-like creature. Her hands shook as she held the small dagger tightly. Lucy gulped as the creature came towards her. Its large sparkling amber eyes were tantalizing but piercing. Lucy squeezed her eyes closed in fear, her dagger held shakily in the air. Her backed neared the waterfall and she threatened to fall backward.

Two arms grabbed her waist and pulled her through the waterfall and butt first into the water. Lucy called out a surprised yelp. The water was freezing, but the arms were strangely warm. The arms dragged her out of the water and onto the shore. Lucy's eyes widened as she frantically checked her sides for her keys. They were still safely attached to her side. She loosened a bit but tensed up again as the large creature emerged from the waterfall. She hadn't realized how large the thing was. The look of the thing gave her chills.

Two guys stood in the water side by side, old dull swords pointed up at the creature. One had pink hair that now clung to his head, the other black hair. Lucy watched horrified as the creature came at the one with pink hair. The guy swung the sword at the creature and a large cut was made on its neck. Dark blood oozed from it. Lucy's stomach turned, but not with fear. Instead, it was excitement. The guy moved quite handsomely. She was surprised the dull sword was able to cut that deep, but she figured it wasn't the sword, but the person wielding it that mattered. And that guy must be pretty strong.

The creature attacked away, faster, and the pink-haired guy dodged just barely, while the other swung his sword through the same cut, going all the way through the creature, killing it. Lucy was very impressed, but she'd marvel over it to herself later. She scrambled to her feet, prepared to hurry away when the two men looked at her.

"What were you doing in there?" The pink-haired boy asked. Lucy didn't answer, remembering her maid's instructions and her own fears. She gripped her keys tightly refusing to say a word. The boys looked at each other and raised their eyebrows. The black-haired one disappeared under water for a moment and popped back up with her dagger in hand.

"Heads up." The dark-haired boy called, tossing the knife over to her, aiming slightly to her right side. The knife landed three feet away. Lucy's snatched it quickly and got to her feet.

"I must be going now," Lucy mumbled keeping her head down. Her heart beat so loudly that she couldn't hear her own words. Lucy began to walk away from them. Hopefully, they didn't know who she was.

"Wow, not even a thank you? We just saved your life." The pink-haired one called. Lucy stopped and clenched her teeth guiltily. After a moment of thought, she reached into the sopping pouch of money. She took out two coins add tossed them to the two guys without looking back. She continued walking. Her clothes clung to her uncomfortably.

* * *

Natsu and Gray stood baffled at the spring. The girl disappeared into the woods. Natsu tried to ignore the way her clothes clung to her body, revealing every utterly attractive curve.

"What a weird girl." Natsu laughed scratching his wet hair. Gray nodded in agreement.

"What was she doing in the waterfall, anyway,"

"Good question," Natsu stated pondering the possibilities for a moment. He quickly dismissed the girl and grinned wildly. "But, hey, we got a key! We're one step closer to becoming the best. I know it." Natsu exclaimed happily. Though it felt like he was just searching for an excuse to be hopeful. Gray shook his head. When he did so, several drops of water dripped from his dark hair.

"Yeah, yeah. You'll get any excuse to say that flame-brain." Natsu frowned slightly but didn't deny his words. Without any further conversation about either matter, the duo began walking back to their camp.

Natsu shifted in his soaking pants uncomfortably. Then, biting his curiously, observed the silver key. The key was lined with a light blue, the end that you'd insert into the lock was shaped like wings. He fiddled with it for a moment before shoving the key into his pocket.

Natsu and Gray approached the make-shift camp. Several mats were spread across a large clearing. Several clothes were hung up in either tent form or as substitutes for a wall. In the center was a large fireplace that glowed brightly at night. Their guildmates were all busy doing various things. And as usual, Wendy saw them first and grinned happily.

"Natsu and Gray are back! Did you find anything cool!" Wendy asked. She always had a bubbly enthusiasm that couldn't help but rub off on you. Gray shook his head no, but Natsu bobbed his up and down excitedly. Natsu shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out the silver key.

"See! We found a key!" Natsu exclaimed. Wendy's eyes widened with wonder and she leaned forward towards the shiny trinket. The others didn't look impressed.

"But no Key Keeper." Laxus pointed out dully. This made Wendy frown.

"That's not exactly true! There was this weird girl that we saved from a cave serpent. She could've been a Key Keeper. We don't for sure." Natsu argued, realizing how stupid he sounded, but not wanting to see Wendy upset.

"Natsu, stop giving us false hope. At this rate, we'll never find a Key Keeper." Erza's frown was like a chain reaction as the others face dimmed suddenly. Gajeel, Cana, Levy, Laxus, and Elfman nodded. Gray crossed his arms and looked somewhere off into the woods. Mira and Wendy wore the deepest frowns.

"Come on, guys," Mira said. "We'll find someone. We just can't give up." Mira assured them, but not sounding too convinced herself. They looked at her with the same doubtful expression she wore.

"I'm starting to feel that's not the case," Natsu mumbled sadly. Wendy began visibly smaller. Her shoulders slumped and her lips were pressed into a violent glower.

"How about this then," Mira offered. "You go into town today and ask around for a Key Keeper. If you don't find one then we know for sure it wasn't meant to be and Fairy Tale will disband for good." Mira said with a seemingly genuine smile plastered on her lips.

"This is pointless, Mira." Cana spat slapping her hands on her hips. Wendy looked at Natsu for validation.

"Fine, Mira," Natsu said. "If you're that sure."

"I am! You should be to Natsu. I have a wonderful intuition. You guys will see." Mira grinned warmly. Wendy smiled too. All the uncertainty seemed to be drained out of Mira somehow. The others weren't convinced at all. They shook their heads in doubt. Natsu sighed and began to head to town without looking at their pitiful expressions.

* * *

Lucy moped under a tree. Her clothes hung up on its branches to dry. She wore only her bra and underwear. She hoped no one would come and find her like this. That would surely be the end of her. She was relieved those two idiots that saved her had no clue who she was or knew about her valuable keys. Surely, if they were that excited about one silver key they'd do anything for thirteen gold ones. Lucy cradled her knees to her breasts and rested her cheek on her folded arms in thought.

Maybe Lucy was being too quick to judge. But she had to be that way. She had to avoid people at all costs because they surely couldn't be trusted. Luckily, she would never have to find out as she'd never see them again. She was grateful that they saved her beside everything else. She was pretty impressed by their strength and teamwork and the way they moved was more than mesmerizing.

Lucy decided to take a nap, even though she wasn't particularly tired. She terribly bored though and sleeping made it easy to pass time while her clothes dried.

 _Lucy returned to her old home. The woods reached out to her, the branches attempting to grab her. She tripped over her feet. Her keys were clenched tightly in her hand and she constantly looked down at them to make sure they were there. She reached the lot where her house was supposed to be but instead there was the rubble of a burned down mansion. In the midst of the charred remains of Lucy's house there laid her father's corpse and her maids. Their bodies were grotesquely charred and shriveled. Lucy fell to her knees. She clenched her stomach and pushed away the feelings of nausea that was developing. Tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes. She hugged herself trying to become smaller. Crowds of people came towards her screaming her name. The crowd surrounded her and left her with nowhere to escape. They ripped the keys from her hands and kicked her. They kicked and kicked and kicked until they got bored and left her hurt, helpless, and alone. Her body throbbed inside and out. The pain was very very real. Lucy called out for her mother. But of course, she didn't come. Lucy became completely empty and fragile and slowly crumbled into dust whilst the wind swept her away._

Lucy woke up shaking, dry tears on her cheeks. She shook off the remnants of the dream and rubbed her face quickly. She checked to make sure her keys were still at her side. She clutched them protectively when she found them and held her hand there for a while. Lucy got up and changed back into her clothes that were now only slightly damp. The sun was high in the sky. It was mid-afternoon.

Lucy pulled the hood of the cloak over her head and walked in the direction of town. She needed to get supplies is she was going to live in the woods. Lucy's stomach grumbled and she had to pee. Reluctantly, she decided to pee hidden behind a tree. She finished her business and tried to wipe with a leaf. With a sigh of frustration, she pulled her pants back up and continued in the direction of the next town.

The town was quite lively, which was both a pro and a con for Lucy. She was able to blend in with the crowd, but there were more people to see her face. She gulped every time someone looked her way and kept her head down as much as she could. She wished she could take in the city, but of course, that wasn't possible. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to.

Lucy grabbed a basket and made her way to a market selling bread, vegetables, and fruits. She grabbed two loaves of bread, four apples, a bunch of carrots, and three oranges. She gave the money the cashier and thanked them quietly. She ate an apple right away to stop her grumbling stomach. It felt like she hadn't eaten in forever, and it was so juicy and sweet that Lucy felt she could've eaten ten. She smiled satisfied.

Lucy spotted a clothing store and went inside. She tried desperately to only focus on the things she needed and not to go overboard. She picked out a pair of boots, a dark red skirt, a black crop top, and an extra pair of underwear. She didn't bother trying anything on, which may or may not come back to kick her in her ass. It was extremely hard not to peruse around the shops some more, but Lucy withheld.

She sighed with relief again as she successfully made it out of the store. _So far so good._ Finally, she walked to a weapon store. She figured she needed a little more than a dagger to protect herself, plus the two boys from before inspired her a bit. She walked into the store. She noticed a man looking at some silver celestial keys and one gold one that was well protected by bulletproof glass. It was insanely expensive. Even so, Lucy was tempted to get a closer look at them. A black whip caught Lucy's eye, but that would certainly bring her unwanted attention so she dismissed it. Lucy found a weapon called a Glaive, which had a long silver blade and a short handle. In the blade was carved a bunch of ancient texts, the handle was simple and wrapped in leather. She held it. It wasn't too heavy. She lightly swung it around.

"Looks a little too big for you." A voice from behind her stand. She turned around quickly to see a stranger staring back at her. The stranger lifted an eyebrow and then their eyes widened with excited meant.

"Lucy Heartfilia! The one with the Celestial Keys!" The man shouted. The customers in the weapon shop turned their heads and looked at her with greedy eyes. After a short moment of shocked hesitation, Lucy dropped the weapon and began to run. The customers in the weapons shop, and well as the workers chased after her. She pushed through the crowd of people, mumbling sorry.

"Stop that girl! Stop Lucy Heartfilia!" The pursuers shouted. The people that recognized the name began to chase after her too. Lucy's heart raced with panic. She ditched her basket so she could run faster. By now her cloak hood had fallen off. Lucy tried hard not to cry. She forced her legs to move faster as the people began to gain on her.

"Leave me alone!" She cried out in frustration. They didn't listen. Of course, they didn't listen. They were greedy. They didn't care what happened to her as long as they got the keys. She wouldn't let them. She willed her legs forward.

Someone grabbed her arm and yanked her hard to the side. Lucy stumbled as the arm continued to drag her. She looked at the culprit and recognized the pink hair. He peeked from the side of the wall and pushed Lucy farther down the alley.

"She went that way and turned right" The pink haired guy called pointing ahead of them. The hoard of people ran the direction he pointed. "I don't know what you did. But come with me if you don't want to get caught." The guy told her. Lucy nodded reluctantly and followed the pink haired guy through the alley. She was out of breath and didn't know any better options. Plus, for some reason she couldn't place, she trusted him.

They made it into the woods where they both relaxed a bit. They still ran as Lucy followed him through the woods.

The two stopped at a camp set up. The pink-haired man's friends greeted him happily. Lucy immediately felt out of place with the friendly crowd of people but didn't let it show.

"Natsu! You're back early! Is that a Key Keeper!" A small girl with blue hair said excitedly. The others looked at them with hopeful looks. Lucy recognized the man with black hair who gave them a knowing scowl. Natsu frowned timidly.

"No. You see—" Natsu began to explain. Lucy interrupted him. She wasn't sure what willed her to do this. It just slipped out. She was thankful for the pink haired idiot and he truly didn't know anything about her keys. She saw how everyone's excited faces turned grim. _These were good people. They must be._ Lucy said to herself.

"Actually. I am. In fact, I've got five silver keys." Lucy smiled weakly. She felt bad for lying to them about what key's she had but she felt it was for the best. She shouldn't even be telling them she's a Key Keeper. The black haired guy gave Lucy a confused and intrigued look. Lucy reached into her pouch on her belt and pulled out two random silver keys. "See?" She proved to them. Their faces lit up. Natsu looked at her with an amazed look. The small girl ran to her and gave her a hug.

"Thank you for deciding to help us!" She beamed. Lucy hugged the girl back after a small hesitation, a pleased smile on her face. But she couldn't help shake the feeling she'd made a horribly stupid mistake.

"Why wouldn't I? Two of you saved my life. It would be the least I could do." Lucy grinned a grin that was only half genuine. Even so, a huge weight was lifted off of her. These were good people. She couldn't really explain how she knew, but she did. Fate must've brought them together. Lucy wasn't about to go against fate.

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 **Hope you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to read!**

 **Review so I can improve my content!**

 **Have a lovely day :)**

Edited and Refined: 01/29/2018


	3. Chapter 3

**Ciao! It's been a while. I took a break from this story to kinda gather my thoughts and revise this chapter. It's still not the best. But it's better than it was before. For now, I'm going to leave it be, but further revisions are most likely going to be made. I'm still not fully satisfied with this chapter, but it is an improvement, not to mention much longer than the last.  
**

* * *

Lucy conversed with the guild all evening. It was so strange to her, having so many people to talk to. At first, it was really difficult. She felt so out of place with the group of close friends. But Fairy Tail wasn't very merciful when it came to her shyness. They made sure to include her in every conversation, which Lucy was thankful for in the end. The awkwardness pretty much went away and she felt was having a genuinely good time with them. That's something Lucy never thought she would experience, but there she was, with a group of wonderful, slightly crazy, bubbly people.

They even opened up to her. The members of Fairy Tail willingly recalled their past. They seemed of something out of a story. They were so unafraid to share with her, practically a stranger, their past. It was something so personal like they were giving her a piece of themselves. They treated her like she's known them forever rather than a few hours. She found herself feeling at home in the eccentric group. Despite the bad things in their past, they still had this sparkle in their eyes that gave Lucy hope that maybe she could become the same way. Friendship, strength, and hope radiated off of them.

Lucy felt terrible she couldn't tell them the truth. That she couldn't even give a last name. They were willing to share so much and she gave them nothing. Nevertheless, she was glad that they didn't pry. Then she realized they probably could understand how she was feeling to some extent. They'd understand if things were hard to talk about at the moment. They'd give her time and be patient. She was grateful to them. They'd done so much for her, yet seemingly so little. And she thought that maybe she'd be able to find a home in Fairy Tail.

Lucy sat with the guild members around a large fire. She sat on a bad pad with Natsu; her knees were bent and her arms folded over them. Her head rested comfortably on her arms while her face was warmed by the brilliant fire. Lucy attentively listened to the Guild's stories.

The pink headed young adult Lucy had come to know as Natsu Dragneel happily volunteered to tell his story first. He described his foster father with so much enthusiasm and pride it made Lucy beam herself. She watched in amusement at the way his eyes lit up so much his eyes balls were practically protruding out of his head. She found herself smiling every time the corners of his lips turned upward and he gave a signature toothy grin that exposed his sharp canines. Lucy admired the way his emotions bled onto his face so effortlessly.

"My dad, Igneel, adopted me when I was really little. We lived together in the woods. He was an amazing solo adventurer and as fierce as a dragon. He had giant muscles and coal black eyes and deep crimson hair and pointy teeth…" Natsu pranced around the camp pretending to be a dragon like a little kid. He bared his teeth theatrically and let out a robust roar that was terribly convincing. Lucy laughed and laughed at his theatrics. She was just about the only one to, but she didn't care. Lucy didn't think she'd laughed so much in her life.

"Alright dragon-boy, that's enough of your eccentrics," Laxus cut him off, but he couldn't hide the amusement in his voice. "Chill out and take a seat." Natsu stopped mid-prance and gave Laxus an exaggerated pout. Laxus merely rolled his eyes in return. Natsu plopped back down next to Lucy and wrapped his strong arm around her in a congenial manner.

"Always gotta ruin the fun. I was just making sure Lucy could imagine it." Natsu explained. Lucy laughed and nodded.

"I can imagine it perfectly," Lucy assured. She felt very hot with Natsu's arm around her. Though, it wasn't uncomfortable.

Natsu grinned brightly once more. His teeth almost outshining the starry sky. His arm fell away from her and Lucy found herself immediately colder. "Well good." Natsu's grin turned into a pleased smile. "Anyway, Igneel trained me every day and told me stories about his many awesome journeys. I really loved him. It didn't matter if he wasn't my real father. But then—" Natsu's voice broke. He stared deeply into the fire but didn't lose his dwindling smile. "But then when I was around eight, he disappeared."

"He left you all alone in the woods?" Lucy asked quietly a little unsure whether or not it was okay to go on. Natsu's mouth was a meek straight line now.

"I'm sure it wasn't on purpose. He must've had a good reason. And I'm sure he's still alive. That's why I spent every day after that looking for him." Natsu brightened back up with each word, and Lucy was eased. After a while, that got a bit boring and I ran out of money for food, so I decided to join a guild and continue my search while we went on adventures. I know I'll find him someday and you brought me one step closer Lucy!" Natsu was back to his excitable self already. Lucy marveled his determination.

Lucy turned to face him, her mouth smashed slightly in her arms. "I'm glad I could help." Lucy gave a smile that was mostly hidden behind her arms, although it didn't feel like she did anything. "And I'm sure you'll find your dad someday." Natsu smiled a smile that felt different from his others. This smile was directed only to her. Lucy felt warm all over again.

Gray Fullbuster offered to go next. The nine-teen-year-old described his story with a lot less enthusiasm and instead was laid back about it. Lucy could tell he wasn't one to show his emotions like Natsu. She couldn't really tell what he was feeling.

"Well let's see now. I never really knew my parents. That's kinda a common theme here. But I had a guardian named Ur. Who was as good as a mother as any. She raised me and my brother, Lyon, and sister, Ultear, in the mountains. Ur was murdered by a cult, Avatar, that worshipped in the mountains when trying to protect us. Ultear and Lyon escaped the cult, but I wasn't able to make it and they caught me. They forced me into it and that's where I stayed until I was fourteen. The government caught them at threw them all in jail. They let me go once it was proven I was forced into it." Gray explained dully. Lucy's eyes widened in disbelief.

"A cult? Oh my Earthland. That's terrifying, Gray. I almost can't believe it." Lucy stated. She caught the amused looks on the others faces and the few escaped snickers.

"That's because I made it up." Gray laughed. Lucy glared at him with a cute pout on her lips. The rest of the guild cracked up.

"That's not funny!" Lucy called our pressing her palms angrily into the thin bed pad. "I was truly terrified!" Lucy exasperated. Gray gave an amused smile and rested his chin on his hand.

"No, but seriously, Ur was murdered by a serial killer that called himself Deliora. The three of us were taken to Fiore by the guards that found us and kinda split ways. I haven't seen much of either of them since." Lucy found sadness in his voice now and she knew he wasn't lying. Gray looked off into the distance. "I traveled around solo and did a few solo adventures. Then I met Natsu and joined fairy tail at what, fifteen, I think." Gray stated brushing off his past like it was merely dust. Lucy couldn't hide her frown.

"That's not much better," Lucy muttered out her thoughts. The twenty-year-old woman with long red hair, Erza Scarlet, patted Lucy's back.

"Don't worry, Lucy. It's those things that bring us here today. It's one of the reasons we share them now. It's best not to dwell on the past and look on to the future. We've all made mistakes we regret and bad memories we sometimes wish we didn't experience." Erza preached. In a strange way, it felt like she was talking directly to her. Lucy nodded at the woman's words.

"Why don't you grace us with your bad memories and mistakes next Erza," Gray said slightly sarcastic.

"Alright, I will," Erza exclaimed grandly. "I belonged to a group of criminals from five until thirteen. I made some really close friends there regardless of the circumstances." She smiled fondly before frowning. "I regret leaving them behind. The guild was terrible to us and we always stuck together. But when there was an opportunity to escape they urged me to go. I left them behind and for that, I was a terrible friend to them. I still have no idea if they're even alive." Erza said. She placed her hand behind her head a leaned back.

"There was nothing you could do Erza. I'm sure they know you would've helped them to if you could've. You were only just a kid." Lucy assured though her voice came out smaller than she had intended. Erza smiled.

"Look at you, Lucy. Already being a great friend." Erza grinned. She looked very beautiful when she smiled. "Well, after my escape I was on my own for a bit. I was determined to get stronger to make it up to my friends. I wasn't strong enough then so I vowed to get stronger. Eventually, I joined Fairy Tail that was still just starting out at the time. It's been my home ever since. That brings us to present day."

"Aw, and we love you, Ezra!" Mira exclaimed pleasantly. Everyone nodded fondly, including Lucy.

"You can be hella scary, though," Natsu mumbled. Gray nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I can, and don't forget it." Erza was teasing, but her words were threatening none the less.

Mira and Elfman Strauss offered to go next. Lucy learned the two were siblings. Lucy could see it, though. They had the same white hair and smile. The two said they had a younger sister at one point who they lost during an adventure they did.

"Lisanna, Elfman, and I all lived together since our parents perished in a fire. The three of us, along with our key keeper went on adventures to easier silver rooms. We stopped after Lisanna's death in one. We haven't been in a room since." Mira explained briefly. Lucy suspected any more detail would make the memories come back to strong.

"But we decided that Lisanna would want us to live life to the fullest. And not to give up our dream like we were. So we joined a Fairy Tail. We're gonna honor our sister's name. Like a real man!" Elfman called. Mira nodded a tiny smile playing on her plump pink lips.

"Exactly." Mira agreed. Lucy smiled. She'd always wanted a sibling. She loved the way they stuck together and had each other's back. She could tell they were close. Lucy had always felt pretty alone, even before her mother's death. But now it seemed she wouldn't feel that way any longer.

"Alrighty. My turn. Nothing as impressive as these guys. But at least a little less depressing." The brunette with a flask in her hand stated. "Let's just clear this up now, I'm a bit of an alcoholic. I get enough crap already so don't you start blondie." Lucy raised her arms in defense and giggled.

"I'm not one to judge. Wasn't even gonna mention it." Lucy said truthfully. Cana nodded her head once.

"Great, I like you already," Cana said pleased.

"Don't encourage her," Laxus stated. Cana shot him a look and focused her attention back onto her story.

"My mother died when I was really little, so my dad took me in. I kinda never saw him though cause he was a solo adventurer and they kinda go off and do their own thing. So he often left me home by myself with a random lady he hired to take care of me. I was always trying to find ways to impress my father. So I trained and trained when he was gone. When I was old enough he let me join a guild and I chose this one." Cana recalled.

"Daddy issues turned into drinking issues." Gajeel scoffed. Cana rolled her eyes.

"That's a little mean, Gajeel." Levy implied. Cana shrugged and took a swig from her flask.

"The metal brains can say what he wants. Half of the things that come out of his mouth are shit anyways." Natsu laughed.

"That's true," Laxus stated. "But you really have no room to talk now do you, Dragneel." Gray and Gajeel cracked up at this and the rest snickered along.

Natsu rested his forehead on Lucy's shoulder in defeat. Lucy gave him a look of pity before nudging him off of her. "Alright. Alright. You guys always gang up on me." Natsu groaned, but not minding Lucy prompting him away.

"That's because there's so much wrong with you, droopy eyes." Gray teased.

"It's so easy to make you mad too, hot head." Gajeel snickered in agreement. Natsu ground his teeth. He would've pummeled the two, but he was hoping to make a good impression on the new Key Keeper. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off.

"What about you, Laxus? What's your story." Lucy asked suddenly trying to spare Natsu some ogling. Laxus looked at her. For a second she didn't think he was gonna answer.

"My grandfather raised me. I grew up in a guild called Fairy Tail. That was the first Fairy Tail of which this one is a namesake. My Grandfather ran it and I often went of adventurers with the guild. But my grandfather died and the guild disbanded when I was seventeen. I became a solo adventurer after that." Laxus suddenly wore a scowl on his face. "Until that damn Key Keeper robbed me of all my money. I had no choice but to join a guild. But none of those guilds were nearly good enough, so I created my own and named it Fairy Tail in honor of my grandfather. So far, it's pretty crappy. If these kids don't shape up soon I am going to have to ditch them. Its ruining my image."

"What image," Cana mumbled into her flask. No one seemed to pay any mind to her.

"Come on, Laxus. You love us. No way you'd ditch us." Mira stated.

"Besides. We wouldn't let you." Erza added. Everyone nodded.

"So don't even think about it," Natsu warned.

"What'd you do about it, pinky." Laxus chuckled.

"I'd pummel some sense in you, duh." Natsu spat. "You trying to imply something Laxus?"

"I think that's quite enough guys." Levy Mcgarden said. "It's my turn." Levy was mostly quiet this whole time, waiting patiently for her turn up until this point.

"We'll settle this later." Natsu glared at Laxus. Levy cleared her throat and Natsu shot to attention.

"My mother died at birth and I'm not sure who my father was. I was adopted by a librarian at a very young age. I lived with her in the Royal City were she ran a library. I think I read just about every book there, but my favorites were the ones about brave adventurers. So I pursued that dream and sought out a guild to join. Fairy Tail was lacking some smarts so I was accepted." Levy explained. Lucy couldn't help but feel jealous. She only ever heard about the Royal Library from maids. It was a hundred times bigger than her old library. It sounded like heaven.

"Like the Royal Library? That's amazing! There's one of a kind books there that cost thousands of jewel." Lucy gushed.

"My favorite was Daybreak. The original is at the library." Levy informed. Lucy bounced up and down where she sat. She could see Natsu staring at her curiously from the corner of her eye.

"That's my favorite too! The original! I might die. You have to take me there sometime." Lucy was in tears.

"I don't I seen anyone get this excited about a library before," Natsu stated patted the crying girl's back.

"I totally will take you there, Lucy! It will be lots of fun. " Levy assured the girl, getting rather excited herself. Lucy beamed and ran over to the bluenette. She draped her arms over the short girl and squeezed her.

"Thank you!" Lucy squealed.

"No problem." Levy giggled and grinned happily. Gajeel snorted.

"That's enough of books. I'm about to fall asleep. It's my turn now" He sneered. Lucy walked disappointedly to her spot next to Nastu. "Like Hot Head, I was adopted by a solo adventurer, Metalicana, who disappeared when I was seven. He trained me how to fight before he disappeared, so I was able to join a guild called Phantom Lord. The guild was a bit sketchy I must admit. I learned that it was forcing Key Keepers against their will to open doors for them. They'd do pretty much anything to get a key, even resort to killing and torture. Phantom Lord's still up and running now and still up to the same cruel antics." Gajeel stated. Lucy's neck tingled. She stiffened in fear. Gajeel caught onto her fear. "Don't worry, blondie, they only target Key Keepers with real valuable keys or ones with a lot of keys. But you only have five silver keys, right? So you don't have to worry."

Lucy shivered. She had all the reason to be scared. She had thirteen of the most valuable keys out there. Her name was known by numerous adventurers for that reason. If Phantom Lord was like what Gajeel said then they'd surely be after Lucy. They could very well be the people that forced her from her home.

"Don't worry, Lucy," Natsu assured her. "Your our Key Keeper now so that means no one else can touch you or we'll beat them to a pulp." The statement sent warmth all through Lucy's body.

"Exactly." Erza agreed. Everyone else nodded along. Lucy felt a little better and gave a half forced a smile. An unsettling feeling still lingered in the pit of her stomach.

Everyone turned to the young blue haired girl that had kept quiet the whole time. She smiled a kind smile.

"I guess it's my turn, huh?" Wendy Marvell stated. Lucy noticed that she was very patient and respectful. She really looked up to her older guildmates. She looked like she was struggling to get her words out.

"You don't have to tell me, Wendy. I understand if it's hard to talk about." Lucy told the girl. Wendy shook her head quickly.

"No, it's okay, really. I want to tell you." Wendy replied, but she wore a frown. "I never knew my parents. I was sold into slavery in Bosco. I worked for this cruel rich man until I was eight. I was saved by a woman named, Grandeeney, who was a healer that accompanied solo adventurers. I stayed with her four three years until she died from an illness. I did everything in my power to save her but I wasn't able to. I was found in the woods a year ago by Natsu and was accepted in Fairy Tail."

"You're so brave Wendy," Lucy stated fondly. Wendy blushed a bit. "No, really. It takes a lot to go through something like that. All of you are very brave going through all those things so young."

"It's no big deal. I'm sure you've been through some tough stuff too, Lucy. Even one has rough times." Erza said.

Lucy nodded knowingly but found herself feeling terrible. Her chest ached and her throat squeezed. Weren't they expected some sort of story or explanation back? How could they just trust her? It didn't matter though. She couldn't tell them the truth. They were all genuinely nice and she was lying right to their faces. She was doing it for her safety, which she realizes sounded selfish. Lucy forced herself to swallow her guilt.

The group talked the light away and soon stars filled the dark sky. One by one the guild members fell asleep until only Natsu and Lucy were left sitting side by side. Lucy stared at the twinkling stars, while Natsu gazed into the flickering fire.

"Thank you, Natsu, for saving me. Twice. I really don't know how to return your kindness." Lucy frowned. Natsu laughed making Lucy avert her gaze from the sky to the pink haired male.

"You've already done enough, Luce." Natsu smiled. Lucy felt herself blush at the nickname. She liked it. She liked it a lot.

"It doesn't feel like it," Lucy said softly. Natsu looked at her with another one of his smiles. She could grow very attached to those smiles.

"Well just know that you're the reason Fairy Tail is going to become the best. That means the word to all of us. We can't thank you enough." Natsu's smile was as bright as the stars and as warm as the flames. Lucy never wanted to leave. It was almost enough to let her forget about the home she left and the family she'd abandoned.

* * *

 **It's spring break and I'm happy. :)**

 **Leave a review if you liked if you'd like. Tell me what you think of this chapter so I can improve it some more.**

 **Have a lovely day.**

Edited and Refined: 01-29-18


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, I bring the long-awaited chapter four. This chapter was done recently after a long break, it wasn't really a hiatus. This is a bit of a boring chapter, sorry.**

* * *

Lucy woke up as the sun just peeked over the horizon. Back at home, she would always wake up early in order to watch the sunrise from her bedroom window. Old habits die hard she guessed. Today, however, there were trees blocking the fiery dawn and instead, dull white rays of light shone through the trees. They softly lit the small clearing. Lucy took in the fresh forest air. She'd never slept outside before. While there was no debate that her warm bed was far more comfortable, there was something about sleeping outside that appealed greatly to Lucy. The freshness of the air was unmatched and the natural warmth the fire created was far more comforting that the warmth of her comforter.

Lucy sat crossed legged on her mat, her hands shoved into her lap. She scooted closer to the embers of the fire to warm her some more. She looked around at her new friends tenderly. It was so different waking up in a new place with new people but it was really refreshing too. Lucy thought that maybe that sort of change was needed. Since her mom's death, she'd stayed in the house. While it was a large house, it began to feel really small. It seemed like she was trapped with all her memories and all her feelings. Like she was stuck in a heavy fog that her mother's death left behind and unable to get out.

Her eyes hopped to the guild members that lay in unique fashions around the camp, all fast asleep, and some snoring loudly or muttering soft mumblings. The corners of Lucy's mouth tugged upward without her meaning to. She stretched and stood up happily.

Immediately upon standing, she felt rather filthy. She always took bath in the evenings, but she hadn't had the chance to even find a stream with everything going on. She searched around the perimeter of the camp for any sign of a stream. She figured Fairy Tail would've chosen a location relatively near one. Though she yearned for a warm bath, she was willing to settle for skinny dipping in a stream. Lucy was careful not to stray too far from the camp in her search. With her luck, she'd get lost or kidnapped or something.

Lucy smiled gratefully as she found a creek. She admired the sparkling water for a moment before she peeled off her clothes. Timidly, she stuck her big toe into the clear water. The water was cold and it sent a tingle throughout her body. She sucked in a breath and plunged into the icy water. Shivers went through her. She clenched her teeth to keep from shivering. Goosebumps emerged from her porcelain skin beneath the water. Lucy brushed through her wet blond with her fingers and rubbed her arms in small circles with the water. Her toes messed with the smooth stones at the bottom of the creek.

Lucy got out of the creek not long after getting in, cold but feeling refreshed, like she was in a new skin. From now on she was Lucy of Fairy Tail. She wrapped herself in her cloak to dry and warm herself. The cloak smelt faintly of her old home since the new intense smell of fire masked the scent mostly. From the warm odor of fire and the familiar scent of home, melancholic memories of her mother came to her.

* * *

 _"Lu. You have to go to bed now, dear." Layla laughed softly, tucking the sheets tighter around her fidgeting daughter. Lucy frowned and shook her head. Her blond locks fell over her small face._

 _"I'm not tired, mommy," Lucy complained beneath her hair. Layla smiled and brushed the hair from Lucy's face._

 _"You're not tired? You've been yawning all day." Layla pointed out. Lucy's frowned._

 _"Well, I'm not anymore!" Layla giggled._

 _"What must I do to get you to sleep, Lu," Layla asked desperately._

 _"A story!" Lucy excitedly exclaimed. Layla rolled her eyes with a soft motherly frustration._

 _"Fine. A story_ it _is then." Layla gave into her daughter. Lucy beamed at the sentence, but she knew it would turn out that way. Her mother always gave into her. "But you've got to try and sleep while I tell you it." Lucy nodded in agreement._

 _"Thank you, mommy," Lucy mumbled happily as she brought the covers up to her chin. Layla nodded knowingly._

 _"Once there was a big strong adventurer. This man was unlike any other. He was stronger, he was braver, he was more loyal than any other man in the world. He was known as the Fire Dragon." Layla spoke. Lucy smiled in excitement and was about to ask a question. Layla gave a stern look and Lucy dismissed her thought. "However, the man had many faults. The man was terribly independent. He was also dreadfully ignorant. He was quite full of himself as well. Not to mention overly enthusiastic and stubborn."_

 _Layla listed and laughed sadly suddenly. She seemed to shake her head a bit flustered. "But, anyway," She stated quickly. "Tough the man was great, he couldn't be the best adventurer in Fiore all by himself. He needed a smart, sensible, and brave Key Keeper to help him…" Layla stopped as she noticed her daughter's eyes closed and her small breaths slow. Layla shook her head fondly and got up._

 _Lucy dreamt about the dragon man and his Key Keeper._

* * *

Lucy wiped a small tear from her eye. She hadn't thought about dragon-man, as she called him since her mother passed away. Her mother told her story after story about his adventures with the nameless Key Keeper. The stories were so real. Like they were memories, rather than made up bedtime stories. Now that Lucy thought about it, it very well could have been true stories from her mother's time as a Key Keeper. Maybe after all this time, she was telling Lucy all about her adventures. Lucy cycled through the many stories that she was told, feeling closer to her mother as she recalled each one.

Lucy got dressed and walked back to camp. She was happily surprised to see that Erza, Mira, and Levy were awake. They waved at Lucy happily.

"Lucy! Did you take a bath in the creek? It's freezing! You'll catch a cold." Mira said in a worried tone scooping up a blanket and bringing it to Lucy. Lucy took it at wrapped it around herself.

"Thank you, but it wasn't that bad." Lucy smiled sitting next to the three girls. Erza patted Lucy's back.

"You're tough! I like that." Erza smiled. Lucy gave a weak smiled.

"I wouldn't say that. I'm not the best at fighting."

"You're not the only one. I'm only here cause I'm smart and they need someone that's good at math to split up the loot." Levy frowned slightly.

"That's not true!" Erza and Mira insisted together. Levy rolled her eyes, not believing them. Lucy giggled a bit.

"I would love it if you could teach me about fighting. It might come it handy." Lucy suggested. Erza nodded happily.

"Mira and I can teach you anything you need to know. We'll get some muscle on your bones in no time." Erza said confidently. Lucy grinned before turning to the small blue haired girl.

"Would you like to join Levy?" Lucy asked hopefully. Levy's face scrunched together in dread.

"I don't know. Erza's pretty scaring when it comes to fighting and Mira's even worse. It may not look like it, but that woman is the devil." Levy grimaced. Mira laughed and patted Levy back.

"Don't be silly. Of course, Levy will join you. I'm sure everyone could use a bit of training before our first room. We'll wake everyone up right now!" Mira smiled. There was a fire in her eyes that was somewhat scary. Lucy was about to protest but Erza and Mira already shouting loudly for the guild to wake up.

"Come on ya bunch of lazy slackers up, up, up!" Erza shouted.

"Cana Alberona! Don't give me that look!" Mira called stomping over to the brunette and dragging her by the arm.

Laxus, Gray, Wendy, and Elfman sat in their sleeping bags yawning at rubbing their tired eyes. Natsu still was in a deep sleep. A drop of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. Erza towered over him and kicked him in the side. Lucy winced.

"Get up, Flame brain!" Erza shouted. Natsu groaned and yawned.

"Oi, Erza. Five more minutes." Natsu murmured.

"Nuh, uh, Natsu." Erza shook her head. "You don't want to help train Lucy? The sooner she's trained the sooner we can actually go complete a room." Erza implied. Natsu smiled and forced open his eyes. He jumped up abruptly, a big smile on his face.

"I'm all fired up, now," Natsu called. The other guild members groaned and walk around sluggishly. Cana was still half asleep and draped on Mira, who shook her to wake her up.

The hour started slow, but it didn't take long for the others to get moving. The guild members were busy around the came getting dressed and cleaning up, never ceasing to keep up the conversation among them all. Lucy spoke with them like she'd known them her whole life, never shy to interject a thought and laugh at the nonsense things they said.

Lucy helped Mira hand out breakfast. Natsu cooked some type of meat on a stick with chunks of apple. He handed out the strange pieces of meat while Lucy and Mira gave everyone a chunk of bread and a cup of water. The guild sat in a large circle eating their food.

Lucy reluctantly took a bite of the chuck of tough meat. She chewed with her back teeth. It wasn't terrible, however, it was fairly burnt, but she liked the faint taste of apple.

"What kind of meat is this anyway Natsu?" Lucy asked still chewing the first chuck. Natsu laughed.

"Actually, it's the cave serpent ice princess and I saved you from the other day," Natsu informed her. "Pretty good, huh?" Natsu shoved a large bite of the meat into his mouth.

"You could say that." Lucy laughed not really knowing how she felt about that while finally giving up on chewing the meat and just deciding to swallow it whole. Natsu leaned over her plate with an eyebrow raised.

"You gonna eat that?" Natsu pointed at the remaining chunk of meat tentatively. Lucy shook her head with a strange smile and Natsu snatched it off her plate immediately before she could change her mind. The other guild members shook their heads.

"You're too nice to him Lucy." Erza chuckled.

"Yeah, you're encouraging his terrible eating habits," Gray informed. "Natsu's a pig." Lucy giggled.

"Shut up, droopy eyes. At least I'm not a pervert." Natsu stated. Lucy gave Gray a disgusted look that was completely exaggerated, but Gray didn't pick up on her theatrics.

"I'm not a pervert!" Gray stated wildly like he was trying to convince Lucy of the fact.

"Then a stripper." Natsu corrected himself. Gray rolled his eyes.

"I can't control that,"

"Control what?" Lucy asked.

"Gray has a problem with keeping his clothes on when fighting," Levy interjected.

"Can we talk about something else now?" Gray grumbled. Wendy smiled a waved her hand in the air.

"Huh, Wendy?" Mira called on Wendy. Wendy gleamed, happy to get the chance to speak.

"What weapon are you gonna fight with Lu?"

"I'm not sure, actually. What do you all use?" Lucy asked. "I don't really know anything about fighting or weapons. I mean, I never really needed to know."

"Well I mostly just heal, but Natsu got me these cool needles injected with poison. When someone is pricked with them they'll die within seconds!" Wendy said enthusiastically.

"Sounds...dangerous." Lucy smiled weakly.

"Don't worry, I was slightly exaggerating," Wendy assured. She raised her finger up in the air and cocked her head a-matter-of-factly. "Plus, I created an antidote for it."

"I use my bare fists baby!" Gajeel exclaimed. Lucy's eyes widened in amusement. Wendy frowned disappointed that the conversation moved on so quickly.

"You're really that strong?"

"You want me to prove it?" Gajeel raised his muscular arm and flexed grinning wildly. Lucy shook her head quickly convinced enough that he was strong.

"I use my fists too," Elfman stated. "Like a real man." He and Gajeel exchanged a manly handshake. Unlike Gajeel, Lucy had no doubt he did. His muscles were huge and his whole body impressively toned.

"I'm not surprised." Elfman nodded quite proud of himself and made a show of flexing his own muscles as well. Laxus cleared his throat and spoke.

"I use a staff. I'm quite handy with it." Laxus stated. Lucy noticed he had a very cut and dry way of speaking, on that Lucy unintentionally mimicked we she spoke to him.

"Cool." Lucy smiled nervously. He nodded once and crossed his arms. Laxus scared her a little bit.

"I use a Gladius. It's basically a fat sword. It's fun to swing around." Cana laughed. Lucy grinned at her.

"Sounds delightful." Lucy giggled. The weapon seemed to fit her well. Lucy could easily imagine it in her mind. The brunette took a swig of what lucy guessed was alcohol.

"I use a Baselard. It's a skinnier, but longer dagger basically. I mostly just help with intellectual stuff rather than the fighting." Levy said. Lucy smiled. She felt she would be able to relate to Levy. Lucy didn't have much strength, but she was pretty smart for the most part.

"I use a Spatha. It's a straight, long, sword. It's my baby. I cost me a fortune." Mira smiled longingly. Lucy suspected if the sword was with her now, she would be stroking it devotedly.

"I can tell you both have a lovely relationship." Lucy laughed. Mira gave a stern look that made Lucy freeze.

"We do thank you." Mira smiled a bit and Lucy immediately eased.

"At the moment, ice princess and I are using cheap traditional swords," Natsu mumbled.

"Because squinty eyes decided to make a bet for our original swords that costs a damn ton,"

"Your fault," Natsu grumbled at Gray.

"I'm not the one that made the damn bet in the first place," Gray growled back. Erza clapped her hands together suddenly.

"That's enough you two," Erza demanded. She cleared her throat. "I use this custom silver and gold sword, called Titania and enough custom black silver and copper etched sword, called Knightwalker."

"You named them?" Lucy asked.

"Of course. The best weapons are always named." Erza stated appalled. The others nodded.

"Mine's Lisanna. After my sister." Mira smiled.

"That's so sweet." Lucy smiled warmly. Mira and Elfman nodded.

"Well, you have any idea of what you want to use?" Natsu interjected, probably getting memories of his own custom sword that he'd lost.

"I actually saw this whip in town that looked really fun to use," Lucy admitted. For some reason, she like the idea of having it as a weapon.

"A whip?" Gajeel laughed.

"Don't you think people will get the wrong idea?" Levy implied. Lucy nodded gravely.

"Yeah, that's why I didn't buy it. But it's unique and unexpected. Not to mention easy to use." Lucy said.

"I think it sounds awesome." Cana shrugged.

"Yes, why not. If anything it'll distract your opponents." Erza added. She smirked. "If you know what I mean." Lucy's face began to get warm.

"You know what? I think it'd suit her," Laxus stated. Lucy's blush deepened with embarrassment and anger.

"What's that supposed to mean!" Lucy shouted at him defensively.

"It means you look like the kind of girl that would be into that sort of thing," Laxus explained. Lucy clenched her fists.

"She does not." Natsu scoffed suddenly. Lucy looked at him flushed several shades darker than his hair. She wished desperately that he hadn't joined in with the conversation. In fact, she just wanted in to end.

"Yeah, no," Gray stated. Both of their cheeks were tinted red at the topic. Lucy's face only got warmer. Wendy sat petrified.

"Can we drop this, guys?" Wendy said quietly. Lucy wanted to squeeze her saving grace but didn't, as the conversation only continued.

"I agree with pink and ice princess. She looks more like the kind to dress up." Elfman stated. Lucy figured she couldn't get any more embarrassed and not was just angry.

"Maybe like a cat or a dog…"Gajeel said. "No, I've got it! A bunny!"

"Gajeel, don't you think you've tortured her enough?" Levy stated trying to help her out.

Laxus merely ignored the statement. "I can see that. A bunny with a whip." He seemed to ponder about this which made Lucy shift in her seat.

"Cute and fluffy at first but not afraid to whip you into shape if you misbehave. " Cana smirked and gave Lucy a sideways glance.

"Would everyone shut up!" Lucy screamed her face flaming red.

"We'll just train her with fist fighting for today." Mira laughed awkwardly.

"Good idea..." Natsu scratched his head uncomfortably.

* * *

Gajeel and Elfman shouted orders to Lucy. Erza held up a thick cushion with a target painted on it. Natsu watched closely and waited to shout words of encouragement. He had wanted to train her, but Gajeel and Elfman, and he was assigned cheerleader along with the others.

"No, bunny girl. Your foot position is all wrong." Gajeel shouted. Lucy quickly adjusted her feet.

"Is your thumb tucked into your hand!" Elfman yelled in disgust. Lucy untucked her thumb. "Straighten your wrist!" Lucy did.

"Bend your arm!" Gajeel shouted. "Keep your front foot straight!"

"Chin down, head up!" Elfman demanded. Lucy did all four quickly.

"Natsu! Try and push her over. Shove her lightly." Gajeel instructed. Natsu did and Lucy stumbled over.

"Ugh! Come on, blondie! Tense you adnominal and keep your legs sturdy." Elfman ordered. Lucy groaned and did what she was told.

The day went on like this while Natsu and the rest of the guild members encouraging her and giving additional advice. Lucy continued to punch the cushion until her knuckles bled and her arm was about to fall off. Finally, she punched the cushion in a way that Elfman and Gajeel deemed successful.

"Alright now your left hand," Elfman exclaimed.

"Left?" Lucy groaned. "Why?"

"What if you lost your right hand! You need you know how to fight with both." Lucy moaned.

At the end of the day, Lucy passed out from exhaustion. Wendy wrapped her hands in cloth while she slept.

"She did pretty well, huh?" Natsu said handing Wendy a strip of wet cloth. Wendy nodded.

"She did much better than Levy and I. We passed out halfway through." Wendy laughed. She finished tying the cloth around Lucy's hand and stood up. "I'm going to held Mira with dinner."

"Where'd Gray and Cana go by the way?" Natsu called.

"Oh, Mira told them to go get that whip for Lucy as a present. Tomorrow we give her our guild mark." Wendy said. Natsu smiled.

"I can't wait!" Natsu exclaimed gleaming. "We'll officially have a Key Keeper."

"A pretty nice one too," Wendy added and went off to find Mira.

Natsu got up a bit after Wendy left. He was about to leave Lucy be when something caught his eye. The pouch that Lucy kept her keys in was practically open. Natsu could see something gold sticking out. He squatted down and peeked inside the pouch. His curiosity getting the best of him. Inside he saw several gold keys and five silver ones.

"Gold keys? And so many?" Natsu said to himself. "But why'd she lie about the keys she had?" Natsu questioned. He set the pouch back down and walked away. He kept what he saw to himself. He figured that she kept how many keys she had a secret for a reason. Natsu would respect that.

But didn't she trust them? She hadn't even given them the last name. Natsu couldn't help but be curious as to why she was being so secretive.

"What are you hiding, Luce," Natsu said to himself.

* * *

 **Leave a review if you wanna.**

 **Arrivederci, everyone.**

 **(It's 2:17 am, so I should go to bed. I probably won't though.)**

Edited and Refined: 01-30-18


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, hello again. It's been too long so I thought I'd post again. I don't really have an excuse for not posting, so, yeah. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Lucy groaned softly. The guild had woken her up. At first, their movement and chatter were quite and in the back of her mind like it was part of her dream, but then, gradually, it got louder and more distinct until Lucy simply couldn't ignore that it was there anymore. Lucy just wanted to sleep. She didn't even care that she missed the sunrise that she hadn't missed for as long as she could remember. She only wanted to rest a little longer. Her body was achy and sore from yesterday and her energy was still completely drained. She couldn't bear to move her limbs, as her tired muscle sent painful throbs through her body every time she tried to move one of them.

Lucy refused to open her eyes and instead squeezed them harder in order to block the strong sunlight.

She nearly fell back into a light sleep until she felt someone poke her face several times. While the pokes were gentle, they were extremely irritating. She groaned again. One that was meant to tell them to go away. While whoever it was stopped poking, they proceded to speak.

"Luce, Lucy, wakey-wakey. It's already, like, twelve." Natsu's voice was sparingly quiet but riddled with impatience. Lucy stifled another groan, and she instead nuzzled her face farther into her flat pillow.

"Please, Natsu. Lemme sleep a little longer. My body hurts all over. I don't think I'll be able to sit up." Lucy begged into her pillow. Her voice was muffled and sounded far away. It seemed like those few words took all the energy she had out of her. Natsu laughed and carelessly lifted her off the sleeping bag by her shoulders.

"Ow! Natsu!" Lucy yelped as a strong shooting pain went through her from were his strong hands gripped her shoulders. Natsu frowned in guilt and quickly let her go, but by now she was already sitting up and the damage was done.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I know you're tired and sore but today is a big day! Trust me you won't want to miss it." Natsu assured taking on an apologetic tone. "I'll find Wendy and get some pain medicine. It's her own remedy. It works like magic. Getting some food in your system will help to…" Natsu continued to convince Lucy to get out of bed despite her soreness and tiredness. Lucy was going to refuse, but then she saw the eager and hopeful expression Natsu wore and gave in.

"Fine, Natsu, you win. But this day better be all you cracked it up to be, whatever it is that makes it so exciting." Lucy sighed the large breath making her whole body ache. He swept Lucy off her feet without explanation. Lucy let out a surprised, delighted, and slightly pained yelp as she was lifted high off the ground and into Natsu's strong arms.

"I'll carry you over to the others. We're eating a late breakfast today since you slept in so late." She nodded her face most likely slightly flushed. "Its almost finished too. You can smell that bacon." Natsu drooled a little and licked his lips before he carried Lucy across the camp to where they could see the others gathered together sitting on logs and such.

Upon seeing the pair, the group brightened with a mix of amusement, hospitality, and just plain friendliness.

"You're finally up, bunny girl," Gajeel stated with his mouth stuffed with a piece of bacon.

"Were we too hard on you?"

"Don't be silly. Lucy's a tough woman. She's pulling through." Erza said boldly with a piercing glare shot towards Elfman seemingly offended he'd ask such a thing to Lucy.

"We're glad you're awake, nonetheless." Mira smiled sweetly and the others bobbed their heads up and down like children who had no choice but to agree with their mother's words.

"The crazy woman wouldn't let us eat breakfast until you were up," Laxus grumbled, his arms crossed over his chest like they always seemed to be. The guys nodded gravely at the statement this time a slow nod that made Lucy worry what exactly Mira had done to make that happen.

"That's great and all, but why didn't you guys just eat without me?" She spoke the words timidly, her head dipped down in polite coyness. Lucy's heart was warm from their kindness. They were so friendly, but it was still so foreign to her. She had a difficult time accepting it. It felt strange, but it wasn't exactly unwelcomed by her.

"Because, Luce, today is all about you! Today you become an official member of the Fairy Tail guild." Natsu said enthusiastically. Lucy could feel Natsu heart pumping excitedly and his body shake with the laughter in his voice as he held her effortlessly. Lucy didn't want to tell him to put her down and hurt his feelings. But the more aware she became of the position of his hands and the contact they were making the redder her face got.

"You gonna put Lucy down or what Natsu?" Cana asked. Lucy was immediately relieved. She could feel Natsu jolt then quickly, but gently, set down on her feet. He half-laughed half-mumbled out a S _orry Luce_ to which Lucy gave a forgiving smile. Lucy took a seat with the others and Natsu followed suit.

"Did you do this for everyone?" Lucy asked, not wanting the others to see her as something special or more important. She wasn't comfortable with all this attention and it hadn't even begun yet. Natsu sighed. He must've seen the strain on her face.

"Does that matter?" Natsu shook his head before placing his arms on the back of his pink hair. "You really shouldn't worry so much, Luce. Just enjoy yourself. None of us want you to feel unwelcome or like you don't fit in. So if you're feeling that way, just tell us. Don't forget Fairy Tail's a family and your apart of that family. Whatever you need, we'll be there to help. It's okay to trust us." Natsu gave her an assuring smile that made Lucy believe his words immediately.

"Thank you, Natsu. It's not that I don't feel welcome, it's that I feel to welcome. I really don't deserve it…" Lucy explained a little where she was coming from. Natsu shook his head.

"That's enough of that talk. Of course, you deserve it. You're our first and best Key Keeper." The others were in agreement with him. "What's your favorite color?" Natsu asked randomly before Lucy could say something else.

"Uh, pink," Lucy said. Natsu nodded and, unexpectedly, stood. He walked off in the other direction, probably to search for Wendy. They watched him walk away before returning to their meals. Lucy shook her head and the pink-haired boy before tuning into the other member's conversations.

Erza patted Lucy on the back. It set small pings of pain through her, but it was bearable. Erza withdrew her hand with an apologetic look and offered a plate of food.

"I'm sorry, Lucy." Erza laughed. "You're a little probably sore, huh?" Lucy gave a weak smile and nodded. Levy slapped her hand on her thighs in dramatic anger.

"A little sore! She probably feels like she's dying every time she blinks." Levy said sympathetically. "They worked you dry, poor thing. And they expect you to party the day after? We should've given you a couple days to rest." Lucy smiled.

"I'll be fine as long as Wendy's pain medication it as good as Natsu said it would be," Lucy said desperately hoping it was. Erza laughed.

"Oh, it works. It just makes you super loopy." Erza laughed with a reminiscent look like she was remembering something fond.

"Natsu didn't mention that,"

"Of course he didn't," Levy said dully.

"No matter, Lucy," Erza assured. "Whatever happens while you're on the medication stays within Fairy Tail."

"That makes me feel a lot better." Lucy dead-panned. She didn't let herself imagine the things that could happen.

Lucy ate "breakfast" with the guild. Natsu was still off somewhere and Wendy was missing as well. She made casual conversation with the rest of the guild. She learned a couple things about the guild members. Gray apparently had a strange attachment to ice, plus the stripping problem that was brought up before. Mira and Elfman were very fond of animals. Erza had an obsession with cake and dressing up. Levy could read and speak several languages. Laxus was fascinated by thunderstorms, which made Lucy want to laugh, but she withheld since she wasn't sure Laxus would take it lightly. Cana was an excellent card player and had a lucky streak with gambling, though she hardly ever got the chance to. Gajeel was pretty great at metal work and repaired a lot of the team's weapons with the exception of Erza who wouldn't let anyone touch her precious babies. The others said that Wendy despises pickled plums, but loves cats. They all stated they found her quite adorable, and one of the most helpful members of the team, even though she had so timid around them. They also said that Natsu had a fire fetish, which Lucy hoped was a joke, but almost believed, as on more than one occasion you'd find him staring into the fire.

"What's something you're interested in, Lucy?" Mira asked. "You got something you're passionate about?"

"I like astrology. The stars in general." Lucy admitted, unconsciously looking up at the sky, but then being disappointed when no stars, with the exception of the sun, were visible.

"Oh, like the zodiac signs and constellations?" Gray asked. Lucy nodded.

"My mother got me into it. She used to tell me about the signs and their meanings. We'd look for the constellations in the sky sometimes too." Lucy remembered happily.

"Did she die?" Elfman asked curiously. Mira nudged him. Lucy nodded one again.

"She did." Lucy frowned. "But I always feel close to her when I look at the stars at night. I can remember her kindness and her stories still. She's with me in my dreams. Even if it's sad she's gone, she always feels close." Lucy gives a small smile. The others smiled longingly like they were remembering the ones they'd cared for and lost. It felt good yet strange to open up to them. But she knew she could trust them. She could tell it brought her closer to them. Simply sharing that much was enough to ease her of the guilt of lying for now.

Lucy helped Mira and Levy clean up the mess. The others went off somewhere else out of sight. It hurts to be moving around, but Lucy didn't show it. She'd feel bad if she didn't help clean up. Mira always seemed to get stuck with that sort of thing. She could suck it up for her sake. Lucy went and fixed some of the messy sleeping bags leaving Levy and Mira alone. Levy looked up at the sun. Mira folded some blankets the others sat on and aligned the logs into a circle.

"It's about three o'clock now," Levy stated. "You think everything's set up?" Levy asked. Mira shook her head.

"We'll give them some extra time. They tend to slack off. Besides, we can use the extra time to do up Lucy." Mira said. She stretched her back and wiped her hands off on her flowy skirt.

"I'm wondering where Natsu has been. He missed a meal. He never misses a meal."

"He must really be passionate about making this night fun for Lucy," Mira said slyly.

"He does seem to fancy her a bit doesn't he. He's never taken that much interest in a girl. Perhaps he's just excited to have a Keep Keeper." Levy agreed though she didn't seem to be convinced by her last statement. Mira shrugged with a devilish look.

"Maybe at first, but I think he's growing more attached. You know how Natsu gets when he gets attached to something." Mira said. Her voice became slightly concerned, but also strangely amused. Levy shook her head slowly in fond remembrance.

"Possessive Natsu? I don't see him very often. I occasionally see it when someone tries to take his food or when you try to put out a fire he'd made. Last time he really got like that was with that egg he found in the forest that one time, remember." Levy said. Mira nodded knowingly.

"How sad he got when he realized it was never fertile."

"Yet he still buried it like was alive anyway." The two continued cleaning in light silence.

Levy and Mira approached Lucy with their hands full of clothing. Lucy looked at them with a raised eyebrow. They dragged her behind a large curtain they've strung up to a pair of trees for changing. Mira shoved the clothes into Lucy's hands without explanation. Levy and Mira waited on the other side of the cloth for her.

Lucy changed into the clothes she was given. It hurt to maneuver her body into them, but she held the urge to collapse. She wore a white frilly skirt that flared outward. It stopped above mid-thigh and Lucy was sure if she bent over her underwear would be visible. She'd have to keep that in mind. She wore a form-fitting blue halter top that squeezed her chest and made it a lot more prominent. She slipped on a pair of long white socks and a pair of long brown leather boots. She strapped a leather belt around her waist, her keys in their pouch on her side. The outfit was a lot more restricting than she was used to but she still liked it. It would make her more confident in herself. She walked out from behind the curtain. Mira and Levy nodded in approvement.

Levy and Mira led her to a tree stump and set her on it. Lucy sat awkwardly while Mira brushed her hair and brought a fraction of it up into a side ponytail secured with a pink ribbon. Levy applied a pale lip gloss to her lips and flushed her cheeks with a soft pink powder. Mira and Levy stepped back to observe her like a canvas. They both nodded professionally. Levy looked up at the sky at the sun that was lowering in the sky.

"It's about four now. Shall we go?" Levy asked. Mira nodded. Mira and Levy led her from camp. Lucy followed confused as to where they were taking her. They walked a bit through the woods until several lights shone in the distance. They stepped out of the forest into a clearing covered with white wildflowers. A fire was lit in the middle of the clearing. Large rocks and logs formed a large circle around the fire. Rabbit kabobs and fish were roasting around it. The guild members stood in a group before her, hold a long piece of parchment paper that read Welcome to Fairy Tail Lucy!

"Surprise! Welcome to Fairy Tail Lucy!" They all at shouted at once. Lucy couldn't hold in her grin. Levy and Mira pushed her forward and the others greeted her with open arms. They took her into a large group hug. Erza the core of it. It was the most painful feeling she'd felt all day but at the same time the best. They gave Lucy some space.

"Thanks, guys. This is really the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me." Lucy felt tears coming out of her eyes.

"Ah, be a man, Lucy. Don't cry!" Elfman exclaimed jokingly.

"You look great in that outfit!" Erza complemented.

"We're glad to have you blondie." Laxus nodded her way.

"That's right. Welcome to the family, Lu." Gray patted her back lightly.

"Woohoo! It's been too long since we've had another addition!" Cana cheered.

"We're lucky we found you before another guild did," Erza exclaimed. "Key Keepers are short of pickings."

"What are the odds ice princess and flame brains actually did something useful," Laxus stated.

"Speaking of which where is the hot head," Gray asked. Lucy looked around curiously realizing that he'd been gone for quite a long time.

"I thought for sure he'd be here to surprise, Lucy." Mira frowned.

"Wendy's not here yet either,"

"I wonder if they got lost or something,"

"That idiot I'll beat his face in for not being here making Wendy late with him." Erza declared. As if on cue, Wendy came running through the clearing her arms full.

"Oh no! I'm late. I'm sorry. I had to make the pain medicine for Lucy and pink ink for her guild mark and then I got lost." Wendy said frantically.

"It's okay, Wendy. Thank you for going through all the trouble." Lucy smiled. Wendy nodded appreciatively and handed Lucy a small glass bottle full of a thick dark liquid. Wendy looked around with a confused look.

"Where's Natsu? He's not here?" Wendy asked.

"We assumed he was with you?" Levy said. Wendy shook her head.

"I haven't seen him for about three hours. He seemed to me in a hurry though. Very determined about something or another."

"He didn't tell you where he was going?" Mira asked. Wendy shook her head. Lucy frowned. She did want Natsu here. He was the one who convinced her to get up in the first place. Why wouldn't he be here? Cana shook her shoulder to cheer her up.

"No worries. We can have fun without fire breath." Cana assured. "The only things we need to have fun is booze!" Cana cheered. Lucy plastered on a smile. She opened the glass bottle Wendy gave her and drank it. The thick liquid tasted bitter and gross. It slid down her throat giving her a chill. It settled in her stomach for a second and it seemed to melt inside her, seeping into her veins. Her body felt significantly less achy. Her head and body felt very light. Lucy suddenly had the strong urge to cry and laugh at the same time. Erza was right. It did make you loopy.

"Are you okay Lucy? You're crying." Levy said placing her hand on her shoulder.

"Did you want Natsu here that bad?" Mira asked.

"I'll hunt him down for you!" Erza exclaimed. Lucy shook her hands wildly.

"Nah, it's da...the...uhm..." Lucy tried to form the words but gave up and held up the small glass.

"Damn. What kind of shot was that, Wendy? Can you make me one?" Cana laughed.

"Oh no, I'm sorry Lucy. I think I made it to strong. I just wanted to make sure it worked." Wendy apologized. She looked rather troubled. Lucy waved her hand and smiled.

"I feel great!" Lucy cheered. Cana cheered with her. The rest of the night was a blur. The only prominent memories Lucy had was when they gave Lucy her guild mark. The pink ink was carved into her hand and colored in painfully with needles. Even Wendy's pain medication didn't mask that pain. The other things Lucy remembered was opening the present they got her. It was the whip she'd been looking at in the city. She remembered declaring its name was Layla. Lucy and the rest of the guild past out in the wildflower clearing.

Lucy was shaken lightly awake by a familiar face lit by the firelight. Her eyes fluttered open to see Natsu's face in a frown. Past him, the sky was covered in stars. It seemed to be the middle of the night. Lucy yawned.

"Natsu, where were you? You missed the party." Lucy mumbled. Natsu's frown deepened.

"I know. I'm sorry, Luce. I was getting you a surprise and ran into some trouble." Natsu explained briefly.

"A surprise?" Lucy yawned. Natsu smiled and nodded. The wind blew and made Lucy shiver.

"I'll give it to you tomorrow. You can go back to sleep now." Natsu assured he smiled sadly. The cold nipped at her. Lucy grabbed his hand. It was warm.

"I"m cold, Natsu." She stated tiredly. "Warm me up?" She asked still half asleep. Natsu shook his head light heartedly and pulled off the bundle of scarf that Lucy noted he wore almost all the time. He spread it over her.

"Thank you, Natsu," Lucy mumbled. She gripped the scarf and snuggled into it. She breathed in the warm scent of fire and quickly fell back asleep. She didn't have any dreams that she could remember, but her sleep was peaceful and warm.

* * *

 **The next chapter will be in Natsu POV during the period he's been missing, just a heads up.**

 **Have a lovely day.**

Edited and Refined: 02-02-18


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again. I updated once more. This chapter is a lot more** **lovey-dovey just to develop more a bond between Natsu and Lucy but don't expect it all the time. Next chapter will probably be like that too. But anyway, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Pink. Lucy's favorite color is pink. My hair's pink. I wonder if she likes my hair too._ The thought filled Natsu's head. He wasn't so sure why he was so stuck on that fact, but he was. He had meant to be finding Wendy. He shouldn't really need to find her. He knew the places she would be. But his head was so occupied that it seemed like he was simply wandering around aimlessly without making any progress.

Natsu headed across the camp still thinking, but not of what he was previously hung up on. Now the marvel of how Lucy's favorite color being the color of his hair was out of his mind and his thoughts were brought to the several gold keys Lucy had. Natsu wasn't completely ignorant. He knew even one gold key was extremely valuable and extremely hard to find. So for Lucy to have around ten of them was really strange. Really really strange. He couldn't help but wonder how she got them. A million possibilities ran through his mind, but not of them seemed to fit. Strangely, the thoughts made him remember something his father had told him about. Natsu focused on the memory to see if he could make it clearer in his mind.

* * *

 _"Did you always travel alone Igneel?" Natsu asked. Natsu was much shorter back then. His body was thin, and while it wasn't quite so muscular, it was clear he was an active child. His pink hair was shorter back then, but messier. His face was smeared with dirt and shone brightly with the ignorance of a child. "I would think that would get pretty lonely." The handsome fiery haired man patted young Natsu's salmon head of hair. He smiled a charming and toothy smile, one that Natsu would soon begin to mimic unintentionally._

 _"No. Even solo adventurers needed a Key Keeper or they'd cease to get anywhere. And I had the best. She was smart, brave, and kind. She had thirteen very valuable gold keys. Yet, she never used them. Instead, she made us search all over Earthland for undiscovered gold keys. We found many and defeated many rooms with amazing treasure and powers." Igneel told him. Natsu listened in awe. He himself began to admire the woman he'd never met. But he noticed his father's look was sad. It was an expression he'd never really seen before on the man._

 _"What happened to her?" Natsu looked up to Igneel with his onyx eyes wide and glossy expecting the worst. Surely, if she was still alive Igneel wouldn't have that look. Something must've happened._

 _"She got married to a nice man and moved into a big house. She never enjoyed adventuring as much as me. I knew that. She always wanted a family. She wanted to settle down." Igneel told Natsu. He looked up at his father. His face sad in remembrance. Natsu was confused. He didn't understand why his father was so sad if she was still alive and happy._

 _"Did you love her?" Natsu asked with his eyebrows furrowed in cute confusion trying to understand. "She was your only friend and she left you?" Igneel's eyes widened slightly with an emotion Natsu couldn't place. He gave a pained simper and looked down at the young boy._

 _"I don't think so Natsu. I don't think I loved her the way you're thinking." Igneel stated. Natsu furrowed his small eyebrows even more. He didn't understand what he meant by that._

 _"She wasn't a friend?" Igneel laughed._

 _"No, Natsu, I certainly considered her a friend," Igneel said._

 _"Well, aren't you supposed to love your friends?"_

 _"Yes, Natsu, you should love your friends. But you see, it was a different kind of love." Igneel tried to explain._

 _"A different kind of love? What other kinds of love is there?" Natsu said still not understanding._

 _"Well, there's the love I feel for you Natsu that's different from what I feel for a friend. It's a fatherly love. The kind of love you feel for your family. This love is similar but closer than that of a friendly love." Igneel said._

 _"So you loved her like family?" Natsu asked. Igneel sighed._

 _"No, there's another kind of love, but I'm afraid you're too young to understand," Igneel said._

 _Natsu frowned with unsatisfaction. Igneel scratched Natsu's head. He handed something to Natsu. Natsu held it up. It was a gold key. The top of it was shaped in a similar fashion to a flame. In the middle was a red gem that was involved in the gold flame shape. The bottom was a pointed arrow-shaped with a swirled design coming off of it. Natsu held it tightly in his palm and looked up at Igneel._

 _"Keep this with you. If you become an Adventurer one day and find a loyal Key Keeper, you can give this to them. It's from someone very important. Cherish it. Keep it safe, Natsu. You should protect the things you cherish."_

* * *

Natsu pulled the string that always sat around his neck from where it was hidden by his scarf. The key reflected the light from the sun. Natsu sighed. He debated whether he should give it to Lucy. No one else knew he had it. It was his secret. Really the only secret he kept from Fairy Tail. Something he cherished and wanted to keep for himself. Maybe there was a similar reason why Lucy kept her keys a secret. Maybe she was afraid of something. It didn't take Natsu long to decide he'd give the key to her. He felt strangely drawn to her. He knew he could trust Lucy. He just had that feeling deep in his chest.

Natsu realized he'd been standing still. He quickly continued walking. Suddenly, he had a thought. He should give Lucy a gift to. He found Lucy first, so he shouldn't let the others have all the credit. He wanted to get her something special. But he wasn't sure what she liked. He remembered how Lucy often looked up at the sky whenever it was dark. She'd gaze at the stars. With that in mind, Natsu decided he would go into town and look for something after talking to Wendy.

Natsu stopped the makeshift tent Wendy made to make her medicines and such. Natsu crouched down and went inside to find Wendy. Wendy smiled at Natsu as he came in.

"What up Natsu?"

"I need some pain medicine for Lucy. The training yesterday made her really sore." Natsu said. She frowned.

"I'm all out." Wendy sighed. "That's fine I'll make some and give it to her later. It probably better she holds off having it anyway. Its effects are still strange. I haven't figured out another more effective remedy."

"Great Wendy. Oh, and Lucy's favorite color is pink." Natsu said.

"Oh right, I have to make the ink. Pink's a hard request." Wendy said in dread of the work to come. She still managed to give a genuine smile. "It'll be done by the end of the day."

"Thanks, Wendy. I'd help but I've gotta head out. See ya later." Natsu waved and left without letting Wendy say goodbye. He grabbed a pouch of jewel that he'd saved up over the years. He headed in the direction of town, determined to find Lucy a present that was better than the whip the others got her.

The town was more crowded today that it had been. Natsu couldn't wait to get moving again. They'd been in this town for too long. The only place he really didn't mind staying for extended periods was Magnolia, anywhere seemed to just get old. They'd stayed at that camp for about a month. They were in a bit of a slump. Now that they had Lucy, it wouldn't be long till they had some actual adventure instead of just traveling and doing side jobs to make money. The thought made him eager.

Natsu pushed through the herds of people trying to find the string of outdoor gift shops he'd seen the other day.

He spotted the colorful wooden signs overhead and went in that direction. The first shop he came to was run by a stubby old man. He was selling pots and vases of various sizes and shapes. Natsu was pretty sure that Lucy didn't need a vase or wanted one, but he looked through them just to be sure. He waved to the old man and went to the next that was selling painted rocks that were scarily overpriced. Natsu decided to skip over that one too. A rock wasn't exactly an excellent gift. He stopped at looked at all of the shops, but nothing jumped out at him. He still had no idea what to get Lucy and the only thing he knew that would help him was that she liked the color pink and maybe likes stars.

Natsu was debating giving up. He hadn't had any luck and he definitely didn't want to miss Lucy's party. Maybe he could come back tomorrow and find something. It would give him more of an opportunity to find out what Lucy liked. But after thinking it over he decided it wouldn't be as special that way. He should give her something from the heart. He really wanted to show that he appreciated her and that he was glad she was joining the guild. She didn't seem too convinced of that yet. Natsu didn't really know why she was being so stubborn about it. Maybe it had something to do with her gold keys.

He wandered around a bit more. The clocktower up ahead read four. He wasn't sure exactly when the party was supposed to take place. He thought they'd planned on around five. He eyes caught something that reflected the light from the sun. It gleamed from where it was on display. Natsu, with a bit more hopeful than before, walked towards it. It was a pair of rosy pink crystal heart earrings. He dug through Lucy's appearance in his mind to confirm her ears were pierced before getting too hopeful. He noted the small diamond earrings she wore. He looked around at the other earrings. Once again, his eyes spotted something that popped out at him. A pair of gold star-shaped earrings. Natsu's eyes went back and forth between both trying to decide which one Lucy would like better. Pink or stars. Pink or stars. Why can't there just be pink stars? The woman behind the counter watched him with a fond smile.

"Are you getting a present for a special someone?" She asked. Natsu looked up at the women and nodded.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure which one she'll like better. The stars or the pink hearts." Natsu stated. The woman laughed.

"You know it's buy one get one free." Natsu grinned.

"Really?" Natsu was beaming. It was perfect. That way if she didn't like one there was a chance she'd like the other and if she liked both that would be even better.

"Yes, but you have to buy the more expensive one and those Rose Crystal earrings are quite expensive." She informed him. Natsu shrugged.

"How much?" Natsu asked.

"20,000 jewels." She stated. Natsu's eyes widened a bit. He opened the pouch and quickly counted how much worth he had. 150,00 jewel worth was what he counted off his life savings. He'd planned on paying for a custom sword, but he guessed he could wait a little longer. He pulled out the money he needed and handed it to the lady. She smiled.

"She must be one lucky girl." She laughed and placed both earrings into on box larger sized box and placed it in a paper bag. She handed the bag to Natsu. "Have a good day."

"You too." Natsu smiled and waved goodbye. He cheered silently in his head, pleased with his success. Natsu walked the streets some more the bag tightly held in his hand. He stopped where he was when he heard a familiar name. The people's voices echoed quietly from the alley. Natsu listened closing. He tracked their voices and listened as new ones popped up.

"They say Lucy Heartfilia was spotted nearby the other day."

"Yeah, that's right at a weapon shop."

"I can't believe they lost her."

"Apparently she got some help."

"Yeah, some guy with pink hair they say."

"Sounds like a lot of bull if you ask me. Probably wasn't even the right girl. How'd he even know what she looks like."

"Must've gotten ahold of one of those rumored sketches of her."

"How do you even know those sketches are accurate."

"They come from an inside source. A worker from the Heartfilia Estate. But there's no telling whether or not that story's genuine. There's no way to know for sure the pictures are real unless you find Lucy Heartfilia."

"They cost a big buck. They'd better be."

"It's a small price to pay compared to how much those keys are worth."

"I'm just surprised they weren't used yet."

"Yeah, if I knew they'd give me that much money I'd want to use them right away."

"The keys are very rare and valuable though, which means the rooms are super dangerous."

"You'd be better off selling them and getting money the safe way."

"But the treasures you'd find in those rooms would be enough to house all the homeless in earthland!"

Natsu realized he'd been biting his lips and could taste blood. Were they talking about Fairy Tail's Lucy? They must've been. If that was the case then Lucy had bigger reasons for keeping her keys a secret. Everyone under the sun was looking for them, looking for her. Did she think that if she told us we'd take the keys from her or force her to open doors for us?

Natsu understood that they hadn't gained her trust yet, but she should know that Fairy Tail wasn't that kind of Guild. Why was she joining us if she felt that way? She could've refused. Or maybe she felt safer. Maybe she was using Fairy Tail as a means of protection. Maybe she didn't like them at all and was simply using them. Natsu shook his head. No, he knew that wasn't the case. Lucy was a part of Fairy Tail now. A part of his family. He'd protect her, no matter who many enemies she had or how much trouble she might get in. He'd do that for anyone in Fairy Tail.

Natsu stepped into the alleyway. His face cold and stern. He looked at the group of five men. They all were much bigger that Natsu but that didn't intimidate him in the slightest. Natsu may not look it but he was strong and could put up a good fight. As soon as someone underestimates him, that's when they lose.

"Hey who are you." A sandy-haired man asked. Natsu kept approaching.

"Hey, that guy has got pink hair. Is he the one that helped Heartfilia escape?" A dark-skinned man asked.

"Tell me what you know about the people who are looking for Lucy," Nasu demanded. The men laughed.

"So it is him." A ginger-haired man stated. "He thinks he's a tough guy."

"We'll show him tough." A man with shaggy black hair stated. The black-haired man swung at Natsu. Natsu held up his hand and stopped the fist.

"Tell me what you know or I'll have no choice but to beat it out of you," Natsu growled throwing down the man's fist. The men stood surprised for a moment, but then they all came at him at once. Natsu dodged the attackers' defenses with artful movements.

The attackers were determined and never stopped their attempts to hit him. Natsu was punched in the stomach, but he couldn't afford to stop because of one mere hit. He needed to get off of defensive. He hopped out of the group of men for a second taking a quick breath and letting them pursue him. This time instead of just dodging, Natsu found every opportunity he could to hit whoever he could. He only needed one of them conscious.

The fight dragged on longer than Natsu wanted. The men were quite tougher than Natsu at first thought, but they still weren't gonna win. Natsu knocked out the second to last man. If he had his sword this would've gone a lot faster but it was too late now. Natsu approached the last man. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and brought him to his face.

"Tell me what you know." Natsu spat. A man shook scared and avoided eye contact his Natsu's fierce gaze.

"All I really know for sure is that Phantom Lord is leading the search for Miss Heartfilia. There are some solo adventurers and smaller guild looking for as well, but Phantom Lord has the most information and is the most powerful. I wouldn't be surprised if they sent someone to town to search around for her and hear the rumors." The man said.

"Do you know what happened to Lucy's family? Why she ran away." Natsu asked.

"They say Phantom Lord burned down the estate with everyone in it. Jude Heartfilia is dead and gone for sure. Most of the staff perished in the fire as well."

"Why'd they burn down the house with Lucy inside. The keys would've been destroyed." Natsu said. The man shrugged. Natsu narrowed his eyes. With one swift punch, Natsu knocked the guy out.

Natsu was deep in the town. He was sure he'd missed Lucy's party. He still held Lucy's gift in his hand. He hoped Lucy's wouldn't be mad at him for missing it. The sky was dark and stars were scattered in it. It took over an hour or so to get back to where they'd decided to have the party. When Natsu got there, the others were passed out asleep in several random positions. The only one Natsu didn't see was Wendy who, since she wasn't old enough to drink, probably went to sleep back at camp.

Natsu headed over to where Lucy lay to the right of the fire. Her arm was used as a pillow and her gold hair was sprawled over her shoulder. The whip the others got her as a present was off to her side unraveled. Natsu approached her. He shook her lightly. She rolled over to face him. There was a small smile on her lips, but her face was tired. She yawned. She seemed to look past me at the stars a moment like he'd seen her do before.

"Natsu, you missed the party. Where were you?" Lucy mumbled. Natsu frowned in guilt.

"I know. I'm sorry, Luce. I was getting you a surprise and I ran into some trouble." Natsu explained briefly. He didn't want to tell her what the trouble retained. He had a feeling if she knew he knew about her, she'd push him away. He'd let her tell him and the others on her own time. Luckily, Lucy didn't question the trouble part at all.

"A surprise?" Lucy yawned the question. The cold wind blew and Natsu could see Lucy shiver.

"I'll give it to you tomorrow," Natsu assured a smile in his voice. "You can go back asleep." He could see how tired she was. She was still half asleep. Natsu turned to go, but Lucy grabbed his wrist. Natsu turned around and looked down. On Lucy's hand was a pink guild mark. She was truly a member of Fairy Tail. It was official.

"I'm cold Natsu." She informed. "Warm me up?" She asked. Natsu shook his head with a happy smile. He tugged off the scarf around his neck and draped it over her. Lucy snuggled into it.

"Thank you, Natsu," Lucy said sweetly, her eyes fluttering. She looked so peaceful and beautiful asleep there. Like all her troubles were behind her. Natsu stood over her for a few moments with a small smile.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy Heartfilia," Natsu said softly. He turned around and walked back to camp. He gripped the exposed key around his neck. Tomorrow, he'd give her his father's key and his gift. Lucy was really a marvel to him. He was certain he'd never do this for anyone else. He wasn't sure what made Lucy different. Natsu wanted to protect her, wanted to make her smile, wanted her to trust him more than he did with anyone else. But Natsu was too dense to realize that yet.

* * *

 **Have a lovely day.**

:)

Edited and Refined: 02-03-18


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, I'm a day late. I said I'd update yesterday, but I was working on the plot line for this story sorted out so I could write the chapter without feeling lost. If you follow my other stories, I might update those. Maybe, I haven't decided yet.**

 **If you care, the story will have four arcs. At the end of the story and maybe sometimes in between an arc or when I have some writers block I plan to do fun random "special" chapters like and OVA (something like a one-shot too). This chapter almost strayed from the plot outline path, but I brought it back so everything is still running smoothly. I'm also happy to announce that Happy will be appearing sometime in near the future, so if you like him then that should be exciting for you.**

 **This AN is too long so I'll let you enjoy the story already.**

* * *

The sun blinded Lucy as she awakened from her sleep. Despite her eyes being closed, the rays of light shown through her eyelids making flashes of red pass through her vision. She pulled the scarf she had draped over her over her face to shield her from the intense light. Lucy couldn't tell what time it was exactly, but she guessed it was the late morning at least. She slept surprisingly well considering she was laying on the bare ground with only a scarf. The piece of cloth seemed to warm her up just fine through the night. **  
**

Last night was a large blur. She'd remembered being furious at Natsu for not being there, but after his appearance in the middle of the night that feeling of anger was completely gone. Lucy wasn't completely sure if that moment was a dream or not, but the presence of the scarf let her assume it wasn't.

If Lucy remembered correctly, he said he'd ran into trouble. In the moment, Lucy was too tired to push him further on that, but she'd ask him what kind of trouble he ran into later. Though Lucy was barely awake, she could tell on his face he felt bad. That look alone was enough for her to forgive him. On top of that, he said he'd gotten her a surprise. Lucy knew that Natsu would have to have a good reason for missing the party. There's is no way he'd miss it for no reason. After all, he seemed more excited about the event than Lucy.

She gave her eyes a moment to get adjusted to the bright sun before sitting up with her eyes still only half opened. Most of her new guildmates were still asleep, but Wendy, Levy, and Cana weren't around. Wendy was probably back at camp and Levy and Cana probably headed that way as well. The clearing was a complete mess, cups and food were all over the place. The decorations were falling off the trees and lay scattered on the ground. Lucy scanned her sleeping guildmates with a smile. Erza and Mira lay near each other. Erza had cake icing in her scarlet hair and on her hand still. Mira managed to look perfect as always. Her head neatly resting in her arms and her legs brought halfway to her stomach in an S-shape. Her pearl colored hair still in perfect loose waves.

Gray, Laxus, and Gajeel lay scattered in several different locations. Gray was laying on his back his arms, legs spread out, and in only his underwear with his mouth hanging open. Laxus sat on a rock, his arms hanging at his sides, and his head hanging back; his face to the sky. Gajeel lay a small way away from Gray, laying on his stomach, his limbs were spread out in all different directions. Lucy couldn't help but laugh at the sight of all of them. Fairy Tail really did know how to celebrate.

Lucy stood up and stretched out. Her eyes caught the sight of the whip the others got for her. She lifted it up and whipped it a couple times.

"Layla, I hope I can put you to good use." Lucy smiled. She figured it was strange to talk to a weapon in such a way, but she thought maybe it could help her become more comfortable with it. She coiled the weapon and attached it to her belt alongside her keys. Lucy heard a yawn from were Gray and Gajeel were laying. She turned to see Gray smacking his mouth tiredly, his eyes squinted open. He saw me and smiled weakly.

"Agh, my head is throbbing," Gray said, his voice hoarse. Lucy laughed lightly.

"I'm not surprised. By the looks of this mess, we had a pretty good time." Lucy said, keeping her voice soft.

"You still sore?" Gray yawned. Lucy shook her head.

"Nah, not as much at least. I'm still a little achy, but I'm fine." Gray smirked and smirk that had Lucy very concerned.

"That's good. That means you get to train some more. I didn't get to see you train last time cause Cana and I were getting you your present." Gray said. Lucy frowned and groaned.

"Great. Sounds like a lot of fun." Lucy said sarcastically. Gray laughed. He stretched out his bare arms.

"I wonder if Natsu ever came back."

"He did. He stopped by in the middle of the night and woke me up." Lucy told him. Gray shook his head slowly.

"What was Flaim Brain's excuse?"

"From what I understand he went into town and ran into trouble. He said he got me something though. I'm not sure if he went into town to get me something, or was in town knew he was going to be late and then got me something. I didn't get any details cause I was half asleep." Lucy explained. Now the thought was really bothering her. Why exactly did Natsu get her a gift? The others already got her a gift from everyone. It must be that he felt bad for being late, well, actually, missing it altogether. Gray shook his head again. They seemed to do that a lot.

"What an idiot. I'm really not surprised he got himself into trouble. What does surprise me though," Gray smirked at her. Lucy wasn't very fond of Gray's smirks. "The fact he got you a present. Natsu isn't one to do things like that for people. He'll beat someone up for you, but give you presents? Not really his thing." Gray said. I waved my hand at him and press my lips into a line.

"I'm sure he was feeling guilty for missing the party." Lucy insisted.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." Gray teased. "I should go find Wendy. She has medicine for hangovers that would come in handy right now." Gray walked in the direction of camp, waving goodbye to Lucy.

Lucy was feeling dirty. It had been a while since she'd bathed. She could use a relaxing bath anyway. It always helped gather her thoughts and make a little more sense of things.

With Natsu's scarf folded needly in her arms, she headed towards camp. She got there not far behind Gray who was heading towards Wendy's makeshift tent. She saw Natsu sleeping in his sleeping bag not too far off. He snored loudly. Which Lucy found immensely amusing for some reason. The trouble he'd gotten into must've had him tired. She set the scarf next to him before she began to dig around a little and find a bar of soap, a towel, a white tight fitting sleeveless shirt, a blue short skirt, a pair of underwear, a bra, a pair of long white socks, and a cropped brown jacket with sleeves that flared outward. She hoped whoever she was taking these things from didn't mind her borrowing them too much. Though, she was almost certain they wouldn't. She headed in the direction of a stream she saw the other day with the items piled in her hands.

The stream wasn't too deep, which Lucy preferred. The water was clear and she could see the many small pebbles at the bottom of it. The stream had a steady current. It was faster than the other day, but it wasn't strong enough to bother Lucy too much.

Lucy peeled off the clothes from the night before a folded them neatly next to the fresh pile. She put her foot into the water. The water was quite cold. Lucy usually took warm baths, but this would have to do. Hopefully, she'd get used to the temperature. She eased her body into the chilling water with a deep breath. She laid her head back against a large rock and sighed. She glided the soap bar along with her skin. She could feel the dirt washing away.

She eyes stared and the pink symbol on her right hand. She'd almost forgotten it was there. The sight of it made her happy. She was a part of Fairy Tail. She had a family. Her chin sank into the water at this thought. Suddenly, guilt spread all across her body. She had a family before. How could she have forgotten about it so easily? She'd lost her family. Her father, the maids, and the other workers in Heartfilia, all of them died. They died. It dawned on her in that moment. They died because of her. Because of her and the keys.

Her chest tightened. Would she bring the same fate upon her new friends? No, her new family? She hadn't been thinking when she'd decided to help Fairy Tail; when she became one of them. The decision was so impulsive. She didn't know why she joined in the first place. She was simply caught up in the guilds kindness. She was feeling lonely and wanted someone to depend on. She shouldn't of let herself make such a huge mistake. Now that she was thinking about it, it was the worst possible thing she could've done. She put all these people lives at risk, and for what? Cause she was feeling lonely? Cause she lost her family and needed a replacement? Lucy didn't realize it, but she was crying. Her tears rolling seamlessly down her cheeks and joining the stream.

She'd been selfish. She forgot about all the lives that were lost because of her. Did she even cry for them until now? She couldn't even seem to remember. Was she that fickle? She knew whoever was after her and the keys wouldn't stop. They'd do anything to get them, including hurting those she cared for. She'd just added ten new people to that list. They were bound to find her and once they find out Lucy joined a guild and gave her valuable service to such an unknown and weak guild, they'd surely make Fairy Tail pay. Her throat throbbed, her eyes aching from crying. She shouldn't have brought so much trouble upon Fairy Tail. She had to leave them. She shouldn't have gotten close to people when she knew it would put them in danger. And she shouldn't have betrayed her family by forgetting about them so easily.

She clenched her fists and squeezed her eyes. She prayed for this all to be a dream. None of this actually happened. She'd wake up at home in bed. Her father would join her for breakfast that the staff prepared. Lucy would thank them and listen to her father talk about the business and her duties. But when she opened her eyes she was still alone in the stream. The cold numbed her body.

She submerged her head into the water. Her gold hair spread out all over. Lucy opened her eyes and stared up and the distorted sky. She wondered if her mother was looking down on her ashamed. Today was her first official day as a member of Fairy Tail. Today had to be her last as well. After today, she'd never see any of them again and they'd be safe. She'd take herself and her problems far away from them. That's what she had to do. She shouldn't have let herself get attached. The one thing she was trying to avoid; she fell victim to so easily.

Lucy stood up with a stoic expression. Her eyes were red and puffy. She shivered at the touch of the air. She walked out of the stream and wrapped the towel around herself. She dried her body and wrung out her blonde hair. She wrapped the towel around her head and changed into the clothes.

She wondered how she should leave them. The easiest thing to do was to just leave without saying a word. But if it were possible, she wanted to get the symbol off her hand. She didn't want to leave any trace of Fairy Tail on her, but she supposed she could keep her hand wrapped to hide the mark until she found another solution. Besides she deserved the feeling of guilt the mark would give her upon leaving. A constant reminder of the terrible mistake she made and the people she let down. Fairy Tail deserved something of an explanation for her leaving though. She decided to leave them a note. Hopefully, Wendy and Gray were still busy and Cana and Levy were still off doing whatever they were doing.

Lucy headed back to camp. She was relieved to see that Natsu was still sleeping and the other guild members were nowhere to be seen. She found a piece of parchment and lead and scribbled a message on it.

* * *

 _Dear Fairy Tail,_

 _I'm very sorry for having to leave, but there are some personal issues that I need to deal with. Things that a guild would get in the way of. I made a commitment that I didn't properly think through. I should have thought more before decided to join you. I'm so sorry. Please don't come looking for me. I really need to be on my own from now on. I hope you can find a more suitable Key Keeper. Farewell, Fairy Tail._

 _-Lucy_

 _P.S._

 _Sorry I couldn't stick around to find out what surprise you got for me, Natsu._

* * *

Lucy set the letter near Natsu to be sure he'd find it when he woke up. She set the clothing, towel, and soap bar on a rock and set the whip on top of it. Thinking it over a moment, Lucy took the five silver keys she had and placed them on the other things. Lucy found her cloak and the clothes she was wearing when she first arrived and changed into them. She put the other clothes were she found them. She sighed trying to remember anything she might have forgotten. She needed to leave quickly. She didn't know when the others would be back.

"Luce, what's this?" Natsu's voice asked still tired. Lucy's heart skipped several beats and she turned around to face him. "You're leaving? Why?" Natsu asked. His onyx eyes stared deep into her. His expression was a mixture of sad and confused.

"I have to," Lucy said dully. Natsu clenched the piece of paper. He got to his feet and approached her.

"No, you don't have to," Natsu said. His voice was strikingly serious. Lucy looked down at her feet not meeting his eyes.

"Yes, Natsu, I do." Lucy insisted. There was no doubt in her words. She would leave. Natsu wasn't going to stop her no matter what nonsense he spurred.

"No, Lucy, you don't," Natsu said. The way he said her full name made her heart clench. His tone was deadly serious. He to had no doubt in his words either. He'd give Lucy a hard time. Lucy still stared down at her feet. "Lucy, look at me." Lucy shook her head. She swallowed the emerging feeling of guilt. She tensed her whole body in order to keep from crying.

"You're not gonna talk me out of it. I'm leaving." Lucy said. Natsu pulled Lucy's chin up, making her eyes meet his.

"Whatever you're running away from. Whatever you're scared of…" Natsu said. His voice was more sincere but held its serious tone. "We'll help you fight it. Fairy Tail is family and you look out for family. We'll look out for you."

"It's not your battle to fight, Natsu! It's my own!" Lucy cried out. She squeezed her hands together and held them to her chest. Natsu stared at her.

"Sometimes you can't fight battles on your own,"

"That's not how the saying goes. It's: fight your own battles." Lucy corrected. Natsu glared at her.

"I'm talking about another saying. The one that you should listen to right now." Natsu said not backing down. Lucy was done arguing with the pink-haired idiot and simply shoved past him. Natsu grabbed her right hand as she walked past him.

"I'm not letting you leave. As long as this symbol is on your hand you're a member of Fairy Tail whether you like it or not." Natsu held up her hand.

"I'm leaving, Natsu." She insisted, yanking her hand away. Lucy continued to walk away. Natsu stood there looking in her direction.

"Wait, Luce," Natsu called. Lucy stopped walking. "If you really are leaving. At least let me give you your surprise before you go." His voice sounded defeated. Lucy didn't want to stay any longer. Natsu was making it extremely hard. She was struggling to hold in her tears already. Lucy turned around.

"Fine then." Lucy walked back towards him. She stared and the ground again, not wanting to see the expression Natsu was giving her. Natsu reached into his pocket, pulled out a black box, and handed it to her.

She looked up to see his expression was blank except his waiting eyes. Lucy opened the box slowly. Inside were a pair of gold star earrings and pink crystal hearts. Lucy almost smiled but didn't. She wanted to make this exchange as quick and emotionless as possible. Lucy did absolutely love the earrings though. She wondered how Natsu knew she liked stars. He wasn't around when she told the others.

"Two?"

"Buy one get one free," Natsu muttered.

"They're nice," Lucy said with little emotion. Natsu seemed unfazed by the dull reaction. _What was he doing?_ Lucy wondered. _Why does he suddenly not care?_

"They look expensive. " Lucy noted dully.

"Yeah, they are." Lucy shoved the box into her cloak pockets.

"Is that all?" Lucy asked. "Can I go now?"

"One more thing," Natsu said, reaching for his neck. He pulled off a necklace that Lucy hadn't noticed. It was a string. At the end of it was a gold key. Lucy's heart stopped. "My father gave it to me. He said to give it to a loyal Key Keeper." Natsu took the key and placed it in her palm. Lucy couldn't speak. Her face shown guilt and regret all over it. Her emotions leaked through. Natsu still stood expressionlessly. The tears Lucy was trying so hard to keep in seeped from her eyes. She let out a sob. She jerked the other direction so Natsu couldn't see her face anymore.

"Bye, Natsu," Lucy said with a sob. She willed herself to move forward. Her legs didn't move. Natsu reached out and pushed her lightly.

"If you're leaving then go," Natsu said harshly. Lucy stumbled forward. She really didn't want to leave. Of course, she didn't want to leave. But didn't she have to? Why wouldn't her legs just move? Lucy tried one last time to move forward, but instead, she collapsed in heavy sobs.

"Dammit, Natsu." She wailed. "I don't want to." Natsu kneeled down behind Lucy and wrapped his arms around her.

"Then don't." He said. The words pulsed in Lucy's mind. She shouldn't stay. But she wanted desperately to. She truly felt at home here. And with Natsu's arms around her, she felt the safest she'd ever been. She decided she'd stay. It put Fairy Tail in danger, but what she didn't realize was that they didn't mind.

Natsu and Lucy stayed like that for a long moment. Lucy's tears were becoming less heavy, and Natsu released her from the hug. Lucy wiped the rest of her tears away. Natsu offered his hand to her. She took it and Natsu pulled her up.

"But, uh, what did you really think of the earrings," Natsu asked, his face with a worried smile. Lucy grinned. It felt weird with her face all wet and sticky with tears.

"I loved them Natsu," Lucy assured. "I really really loved them."

* * *

 **Alright, this chapter was _a bit_ dramatic, but it was fun to write**. (Future Editing Ella from several months later: Terrible to actually edit. Dude, this is exhausting. Especially when you take hardly any time to edit the first time around.) **I** **actually considered just letting Lucy leave Fairy Tail several times (that was me straying off the plotline path) but decided against it.**

Be a sweety and review?

 **Have a lovely day!**

Edited and Refined: 02-04-18


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again, Ladies and Gents.**

 **Enjoy this chapter! And hello to all the new Followers to the story! I'm so happy to have you!**

* * *

— One week later —

Lucy spent the past week training and getting to know her new guildmates better. It was probably the most fun week she had had in her life. She was feeling more comfortable with the members, but there was always the thought itching in the back of her mind. And ever since she tried to leave the guild, constant guilt loomed over her. Whenever she was left alone, she would almost always cry. And at night, nightmares invaded her dreams.

She was hiding so much from them. Lucy debated telling them many times, but something always stopped her. Maybe she thought if she could keep it from them, the threat would never find them. So far, Lucy hadn't had any problems. No one recognized her, she didn't notice anyone watching her, no one came attacking her, nothing. She wasn't sure how long that was going to last. And she feared her hopefulness would only bring misfortune.

Staying in one spot for so long certainly wasn't a good thing, especially since she'd been recognized once already in the town not very far from their camp. On top of that, Lucy itched for some excitement. Spending time with her guildmates was fun and all, but they seemed to get stuck in sort of a routine. They'd wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, train, rest, eat lunch, to random chores, hang around and talk, eat dinner, hang around and talk, sleep, and do it all over again. The others must feel the same way. She wondered why no one just said that they should go already. Maybe they were waiting for Lucy to tell them she was ready. She was the one with the keys after all.

They'd have to discuss it at dinner. The thought gave her a thrill. She was actually going to complete a room with her very own guild. Possibly even a tower one day. Lucy couldn't imagine what kinds of things they'd be challenged with. She couldn't wait to see what her friends could do and see what she herself could do as well. Lucy gave a huge goofy grin to herself.

"What's that creepy smile for?" Erza asked. Lucy snapped out of her fantasies. Lucy made her grin into a simple smile.

"I was just fantasizing," Lucy admitted. Erza raised a mischievous eyebrow.

"About a boy?" She asked. Lucy laughed and shook her head.

"No of course not," Lucy said. "I was thinking about all the adventures we'll go on together."

"Exciting to think about right?" Erza said. Apparently, she did this to.

"I'm anxious to get out there and complete a room. Then Fairy Tail can finally start making a name for itself. We'll become the best guild in Earthland in no time. I've got that feeling." Lucy got the same goofy grin again. Erza shook her head amused.

"You sound like Natsu." Erza teased. "I think you've been spending too much time with him."

"I'm just trying to be ambitious,"

"Well, keep it up." Erza smiled. "Ambition's good if you really want all those this you fantasize about to happen."

"Guys! Dinner's finished!" Mira called to the guild. Everyone got up from where they were and headed towards the middle of the camp. Lucy and Erza took a rabbit meat kabob and sat down around the blazing fire.

"Fire's looking good today, Natsu." Wendy complimented the pink haired boy. Natsu's face lit up and gave her a grin.

"Thanks, Wendy. I'm glad someone appreciates the work I put into making the fire that keeps everyone warm and makes our food so we don't die." Natsu said this loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I appreciate it Natsu, but it really isn't that hard to make a fire. And you do it every day so it would be pretty redundant to say thank you every single time you made a fire." Lucy implied. Natsu frowned. He found the statement especially disheartening coming from Lucy.

"Fine, then tomorrow you can make the fire and make sure it doesn't go out and gather all the wood you need to keep it going." Natsu hissed.

"Come one, Fire Face. Don't get so butthurt." Gray said from across the fire.

"I wasn't talking to you, Pervert." Natsu snapped.

"Alright, that's enough," Erza demanded. She cut off the argument early. It would've gone on all night if they allowed it. "I swear you idiots give me headaches."

The guild chit-chatted a bit more while eating their food. Lucy tried to find the right time to bring up the whole completing a room thing. Natsu seemed to have read her mind.

"How much longer are we gonna be camping out here, Laxus," Natsu asked. Laxus looked surprised by the question.

"Well, until everyone's ready to head out I guess." Laxus shrugged.

"Well, we do have a Key Keeper now." Gajeel looked at Lucy. "We can actually complete a room now. Become an actual adventure guild."

"Right! We can actually register now." Levy exclaimed.

"Register?"

"You need to be registered by the government of Fiore to be recognized as an actual guild," Elfman explained.

"We couldn't register before because in order to be a guild you need at least one Key Keeper." Mira elaborated further.

"So really were not even a guild yet. We just call ourselves one." Cana added.

"Oh, well, how do you register?"

"The Guild Registry and Information Center is in Crocus," Gray said.

"Once you're there, from what I understand, you fill out a bunch of paperwork. Tell them what keys you've got and what not. They provide information on where to find certain towers. They come in handy for information. They always provide a banking system and insurance." Erza said.

"It's pretty easy to register actually," Laxus said. "The journey is just a hassle and the paperwork's tiring.

"Well, we should head to Crocus then. The sooner we're registered the sooner we can start completing rooms." Lucy stated excitedly. The others seemed surprised by her eagerness, besides Erza that is.

"Well, actually, if we pack everything up tonight. We could leave tomorrow morning. We could get to Crocus in four days tops walking." Natsu said.

"Who says we're going to be walking." Gray retorted.

"I agree with the pinkie. Walking's the best way to go." Gajeel agreed.

"We are not walking. Let's clear that up right now." Laxus stated. Natsu and Gajeel gave grim looks. Lucy wasn't exactly sure why they were so adamant about walking, but she'd figure that out later. "We'll take a train."

"A train sounds a lot more enjoyable than walking." Cana agreed.

"But we get motion sickness. You guys know that."

"We'll barf all over the place," Gajeel added. That answered Lucy's question at least.

"I can give you that medicine I gave you before. You'll be fine." Wendy assured.

"It's settled then. We'll leave tomorrow morning and catch the first train to Crocus." Mira stood up and clapped her hands together.

"We can't bring all of our stuff with us on the train. We've collected a bit of stuff the last, what, month we've been here." Levy stated.

"We can leave the sleeping bags and stuff like that. Just take your weapon's and a few clothes. We can stock up on food in Crocus." Laxus said.

The guild spent the rest of the evening packing up their things. Levy, Mira, Erza, and Cana came over to Lucy to give her some clothes that she could keep since she had none other than the dress she had one when she first arrived. She put the clothes in a satchel that Gray gave her to use. She didn't have anything else besides her cloak, whip, keys, and the pair of earrings from Natsu that she wasn't wearing. She set everything in a pile beside her sleeping bag and crawled into it. She wanted to go to bed early add get to tomorrow quicker. Lucy closed her eyes. It took awhile but eventually sleep came to her.

Lucy woke up to the sound of footsteps around the camp. Erza, Levy, Mira, and Cana were gathering the last things for the trip. Gajeel and Gray were rolling up sleeping bags and taking down Wendy's tent. Wendy was mixing a bunch of different herbs together, probably making the motion sickness medicine she mentioned yesterday. She didn't see Laxus and Elfman around. They were off doing something or another. Natsu was still fast asleep snoring lightly. Lucy got up and quickly changed and brushed her hair. She put the last things she had into her satchel, put on her cloak and attached her keys to her belt. She took it upon herself to take down the changing curtain since everyone else was done using it. Levy noticed she was awake.

"Morning Lucy." she greeted. The others shouted out mornings as well

"Morning, guys," Lucy said. "What are you guys gonna do with the sleeping bags and stuff?" Lucy asked. The white cloth was folded sitting in her hands.

"We're just leaving them here, I guess. We have a pile over there." Gray informed and pointed to the pile of sheets and sleeping bags. Lucy nodded and put the cloth in the pile.

"Hey, can you wake up Natsu?" Erza asked. "The idiot would sleep all day if he could." I nodded and headed in Natsu's direction. I squatted down and shook Natsu's shoulder.

"Natsu, wakey-wakey," Natsu groaned.

"Five more minutes, Luce," Natsu mumbled. Lucy took his arm and stood up dragging him from the sleeping bag.

"Nope, we've gotta get going Natsu," Lucy said. "You do want Fairy Tail to be the best guild in Earthland, right?" Lucy asked. Natsu nodded tiredly and sat up. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Fold your sleeping bag and get all your stuff," Lucy told him. Natsu nodded and began rolling up the sleeping bag.

Lucy was more than a bit nervous to go into town. There was a chance she'd get recognized again. Even with her cloak hood up, standing in the middle of the group, and the fact that it was so early few people were on the streets, she was still on edge. In Crocus, she'd have to be even more careful not to get recognized. Crocus had to be a popular spot for guilds and solo Adventurers. Those were the people that knew her and knew how valuable the keys were. Which put something else on her mind. Erza had said you had to tell them what Keys you had in the paperwork. Should she be honest and put the keys she had and hope that they keep that information secret or should she lie and only say she had five silver keys? Lucy had been excited before but now she was making herself nervous. It must've shown on her face cause Natsu leaned into her concerned.

"What's wrong, Luce," Natsu asked.

"What do you mean? Nothing wrong, why would you think something wrong?" Lucy said with fake positivity.

"You just had a weird look on your face is all," Natsu said. Natsu seemed to be very wary of Lucy every since he'd talked her out of leaving the guild. Every time Lucy frowned or made an expression that was negative in any way he'd ask her what was wrong.

"You get that look when you're nervous about something," Natsu stated. "What're you nervous about?"

"It's really nothing Natsu." Lucy insisted. Natsu stared at her a moment the stood up straight again forgetting about it.

They arrived at the train station. It wasn't very crowded because of the time. Laxus got eleven tickets to Crocus and gave one to each of us. It had to have been expensive to get tickets for that many people. Lucy wondered where they got the money for that.

The guild took up a good portion of the seats and there were only a few other people riding with them. Lucy had never been on a train before and certainly not for a whole day. Lucy sat next to Natsu on the train. He let her have the window seat. Lucy hoped Wendy's medicine would hold up the whole time. She had no desire to sit next to sick, moaning Natsu. The train started moving. Lucy looked at Natsu a small bit concerned, but he looked fine.

She stared at him a moment. She wondered what he was thinking. She wondered this a lot actually. She never got the chance to ask Natsu why he'd got her a present. The others teased him about it, but he didn't seem phased. What she was more curious about was the key he'd given her. Lucy could tell it was important to him. He said his father gave it to him. Why would he give it to her? Why would he give her something that important to him? She almost asked him but thought against it.

She turned her head toward the window and stared at the town passing by.

* * *

 **I know this chapter is a bit boring and shorter than the others, but it was needed to get to the more interesting stuff. I'm sorry! The next chapter will be longer and better.**

 **Have a lovely day, you deserve it.**

Edited and Refined: 02-04-18


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm a little late on the update. I'm sorry! I was having a bit of a writer's block and ended up taking a step back. But I'm back with this chapter. Still no Happy, but he'll come soon. I also might upload another Fairy Tail fanfic, but I haven't decided yet.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

They'd been on the train for nearly four hours. Natsu had fallen asleep within the first hour of the trip. Which somewhat disappointed Lucy because she enjoyed talking to the boy. His pink head was resting on Lucy's shoulder. It was warm where his head rested and in a weird way was comforting. She could feel him breathe in and out slowly with soft snores. Lucy didn't mind it all that much. Although, if he started drooling Lucy wouldn't let it last any longer. As much as she enjoyed Natsu's company, she naturally didn't appreciate being slobbered on

Lucy considered falling asleep herself, but she didn't want to miss anything about this moment. This was the first time she'd really ever left Heartfilia estate. From the little window on the train, she could see all the things that she hadn't been able to see. She'd been staring out the window for so long, yet she wasn't bored in the least.

For the first time, she saw how big the world really was. Yet, it didn't make her feel small at all. While she herself was small in retrospect, it seemed to her like being out in the world made her bigger in a way. There were so many opportunities, so many adventures, and so much experience that was to be gained in the magnificently large world. She figured, while physically she was small, the world only gave her room for her mind and heart to grow bigger and bigger. She felt so strangely free. She'd never felt that way before.

She couldn't help but think that this was what her mother had wanted for her. That her mother was watching her from the stars and smiling. She was proud of her. Not ashamed or angry like she had thought. She could almost see her mother sitting on a similar train gazing out the window feeling the way Lucy felt right then.

Through her many stories, her mother was trying to share that feeling with her. She was planting a seed in Lucy. One that would bloom into this beautiful feeling. It was grander than any flower that Lucy would ever see. That feeling of freedom and exhilaration. That feeling that you're going somewhere, that you mean something, and that you've got a family that will be by your side through all of it. It was a feeling Lucy hoped would never be taken from her.

She had lost so much. She surely would continue losing some things, but she knew in her heart that she could pull through. Fairy Tail gave her the hope that she could. Thinking about the memories of her family at Heartfilia estate would always be hard and it would always hurt her, but she'd use them to pull through. The fact that she was still here in the moment and able to make more memories gave her immense ambition.

She knew that everyone at the estate would've wanted this for her. They didn't die for her so she could wallow in the loss. To do that would only dishonor them and throw away the sacrifice they made for her. She needed to live for them. She needed to take advantage of the life they'd given her. She would carry them in her heart through all of it so that they might live on with her.

Lucy was smiling. Fairy Tail had saved her. They really had. Cause she would surely be lost if she was alone.

A few hours had passed. They went by quickly. The whole time Lucy was staring starry-eyed out the window taking in every little thing she could. Every blade of grass. Every big fluffy cloud. Every leaf on every tree. Every wildflower. Every line of every building. Every creature that could be seen. Her eyes were glittering like the night sky and wide with child-like wonder. While the train was moving fast, it seemed to be moving in slow motion for Lucy.

Natsu was awake now. He looked over Lucy's shoulder and out the window. He squinted at the world passing by trying to figure out what Lucy was found so interesting. The only thing he saw was a grassy field. Something he'd seen numerous times. Natsu couldn't find any significance in it. He wondered why Lucy had.

"Whatcha looking at, Luce," Natsu asked. Lucy jumped up in surprise at the sudden comment. His voice cut through her wonderous gaze like a sharp knife. She turned to Natsu with a smile, still partially stuck in her daze.

"Whatever I can see outside this window, really," Lucy said simply. Natsu raised a playful eyebrow and snickered at the hopelessly dreamy statement.

"You mean the barren field?" Natsu teased. Lucy didn't seem to let it bother her and nodded slowly.

"Yup,"

"Well, what's so great about an empty field," Natsu stated. He crossed his arms over his chest. He was slightly agitated. It felt like he was being ignored. He didn't understand why Lucy had more interest in a field than in Natsu's company. As dumb as it was, Natsu was jealous of a geographical feature.

"Nothing in particular really, if I'm honest, Natsu," Lucy admitted. "But it's something I've never seen before, so it's something worth seeing." Lucy faced the window again, turning her back on the pink-haired dummy. Natsu huffed out a mocking breath.

"You've never seen an empty field?" Natsu retorted. Lucy rolled her eyes at him. Natsu saw it on the reflection of the window and clenched his jaw in an offended manner.

"Not this specific one, no," Lucy stated. "But you know, it really isn't empty," Lucy said. She looked from the window to Natsu. "There's the grass, the soil, the wildflowers, the mice, the insects, the sky, the clouds—" Lucy listed the things she could see from the window but Natsu interrupted her. He frowned looking behind her.

"Aw, Luce, we passed it. Now there's just corn," Natsu said. His face grew a small smirk as he looked back to her. "Have you seen corn before?" Lucy's face looked annoyed but she gave him a smile not a second later.

"No, I haven't actually," Lucy informed a matter-of-factly. She swung her head the other direction. Natsu laughed at the dramatic action.

"You've got to be kidding, Luce." Natsu smiled in amusement. He was enjoying teasing her. "You definitely didn't get out much." The was a light silence between them. The voices of the other guild members that weren't sleeping could be heard but were blocked out between Natsu and Lucy.

"Hey, Natsu?" Lucy asked her face still facing the window. Natsu looked at her more sincerely now noticing the serious tone of her voice. His back was slouched in the uncomfortable seat waiting for what she would say.

"Yeah?" He wondered what she could've wanted to ask him. Her voice sounded slightly unsure. "What's up?" Lucy stayed quiet for a moment like she was deciding whether or not to ask the question. Natsu tapped his foot nervously at her hesitation.

Finally, she spoke, "Why'd you give your father's key to me? It must be important to you." She asked with her head tilted down slightly. She glanced over at him nervously. Natsu found Lucy's timidness endearing and also very funny, but he stifled a snicker. Natsu was surprised she'd even need to ask and so out of the blue too. It must've been on her mind. He wondered why she was so cautious about asking. Surely she knew she could ask him anything.

"Of course it was important to me. But that just makes me giving it to you more meaningful." Natsu said. All his tenseness from before melting away from him. He leaned back and smiled fondly looking up at nothing in particular. "Besides, my father told me to give it to a loyal Key Keeper. I think he would've approved it being given to you." Natsu's eyes bounced from the train roof to Lucy. She was fiddling with her hands and looking down at them as if she never had them before.

"You could've let me leave Fairy Tail and gave it to the next Key Keeper you found," Natsu shook his head adamantly before she even finished her sentence. He found the statement ridiculous, but he realized it was really a concern for Lucy. He wished she knew that she was, forever and always, and part of Fairy Tail. He wished she knew that they really would do anything for her. And he wished she knew how grateful they were.

"No, I truly don't think we could've found another Key Keeper quite like you, Luce," Natsu said. He tried to give as much meaning as he could into the words so that Lucy might know that they were true. Lucy gave a small smile that Natsu just barely caught.

"I'm glad you made me stay, you know." Lucy turned her head to gaze at the corn. She looked calmly content.

"Me too," Natsu said. There was silence for a moment until Natsu gleamed brightly. "Did you know you practically saved Fairy Tail?" Lucy shook her head doubtfully with a breathy laugh.

"How is that exactly?"

"That day when I met you again in town was the last try at finding a Key Keeper. If I didn't find someone, Fairy Tail was going to disband. Before it was even an official guild may I add." Natsu said. The words were heavy with shame at himself and the guild for even considering giving up.

"Really?" Natsu nodded.

"So fate practically pushed you to Fairy Tail," Natsu said. "That never could've happened if it wasn't fate that brought you to us."

"Fate? You think so?" Lucy asked doubtfully. Natsu grinned his signature toothy grin.

"I know so, Luce," Natsu beamed. The doubt Lucy felt immediately went away.

...

The train finally arrived in Crocus after several long hours on the train. The sun was setting and the city lights were blazing in the streets. Lucy walked off the train following the other members. The station was incredibly crowded, unlike the last city. It seemed like everyone was coming and going in Crocus. The large group didn't even seem out of place. Lucy noted several groups of people of all sizes, some even larger than theirs. A lot of them she suspected were guilds or soon to be ones. She tried to push down the paranoia that was beginning to rise in her chest and forced her mind to focus on something else instead.

Her whole was body stiff and tired like it hadn't been used in weeks. She didn't like the feeling and it was good to finally be moving. She wouldn't might next time they had to travel if they walked the extent of the journey. Lucy figured she'd see even more than on the train. Plus, after many years after sitting around in the Heartfilia estate, she wasn't too fond of it.

The group gathered together in the train station all with drained looks. They all stretched for a good minute, and some alarming cracking sounds were produced but felt extremely relieving. Everyone seemed to be in the same mood as Lucy. Gajeel and Natsu were just thankful to be off the thing as the medicine from Wendy had become less effective as time went on.

"Alright. We'll find a hotel for the night since it's getting late and we're all exhausted from the long trip. We can sleep in tomorrow and go to the Guild Registry center in the afternoon. We'll spend the next two days in Crocus then leave the third morning. Tomorrow is strictly business day. The next day we can do as we please and get ready for the trip." Laxus informed. His voice was still as powerful and awake as ever, but his appearance said otherwise. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Without much more discussion, the group walked together down the emptying streets. Lucy was too tired at that moment to really take in the town, but she noted how different it looked from any of the few others she'd seen. It felt different too. It was refreshing to breathe the new atmosphere.

They checked into a hotel not more than a few blocks away from the train station. Laxus got two rooms; one for the guys and one for the girls. The hotel was definitely not the nicest, but Lucy was surprised they could even afford any kind of hotel in the first place let alone two rooms. The hotel was small but gave off a homely presence. It wasn't extravagant at all, but it had a strange charm.

The floors were wooden and creaked slightly as you walked across them. The entrance was across of the wooden front desk that was decorated with newly wilting flowers. Behind the front desk was a chubby old woman with stark white hair pulled up into a bun. Besides the old woman, Lucy didn't see any other workers. The place mustn't get a lot of business.

To the left, there was a small brick fireplace and three sofas arranged into a partial rectangle. At the corners of each couch were small wooden tables with a stack of books and magazines. The walls were covered halfway with wood paneling and then floral wallpaper the rest of the way. Paintings of various sizes and of multiple landscapes were scattered in random locations.

To the right, there was a room with a small buffet that was now empty against its back wall. The rest of the room was filled tables of varying styles and colors and mix-matched chairs that gave the space a whimsical child-like charm. The area was dim now and no sat in it, but Lucy could imagine people of all types sitting at the tables sipping coffee or tea and eating steaming pancake dripping with syrup. The scene was quite comical in her head.

The whole place smelt of faint cedar, the lingering scent of breakfast food, and a strong floral perfume. The inside was incredibly warm. It reminded Lucy of the way Natsu's skin felt. The thought made Lucy blush. She didn't even notice when the old lady handed the group a room key and they began to walk away. After a light tap from Wendy, Lucy stumbled after the group.

The girls parted with the guys a little way down the long hallway as they arrived at their room. Erza unlocked the door and they walked inside. The room had two queen-sized beds and a pullout couch. There was just enough room for the six of them. The walls were painted a pale baby blue that was becoming discolored with age. The beds were covered with a floral comforter and sat atop weak looking wooden frames. The nightstands were decorated; one with flowers, one with a simple lamp, and the last with a stack of books not even Levy has heard of before. Other than that there wasn't much to the room. It didn't even have a window, which disappointed Lucy.

Erza and Mira shared one of the queen beds and Levy and Cana shared the other. Wendy had insisted on sleeping with Lucy. Lucy hadn't mind and gladly agreed. The two of them shared the pullout couch. Which, though it was rather springy, wasn't too terribly uncomfortable. The six of them wasted no time and went immediately to bed after changing into their pajamas. Everyone was exhausted and eager for the next day to come.

...

Lucy woke up in the late morning. The clock said it was eleven o'clock. She noticed she'd been sleeping later than she usually did lately. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because her days had become so much more eventful than they ever had been. The others were already up, but it didn't look like they'd been awake for very long.

Levy was reading a book with her small body still bundled under the covers. Her blue hair was in tangles but somewhat managed by her orange headband. Wendy was in the bathroom mixing different things together. She sat crossed-legged on the sink still in her pajamas, though her hair was brushed and pulled back into a ponytail. Cana was taking a bubble bath not seeming to care that Wendy was in there and leaving the door open. Mira and Erza were sitting and a small table in front of the hotel window talking amongst each other with a cup of something steaming in their hands' which was either coffee or tea. Lucy yawned and sat up. The others noticed her waking and good mornings spilled across the room.

"Morning,"

"They're serving breakfast in the lobby still if you want to go down and get some," Mira informed. Lucy nodded longingly. She was actually pretty hungry. The guild didn't have an official dinner or lunch yesterday; only snacks throughout the journey.

"I think I'll head down there then,"

"I'll come with you." Levy offered. She set her book down and got out of bed.

"So will I," Wendy said hopping off the counter after shaking some sort of liquid off her hands. She swiped a brush off the counter, clenched it in her fist, and handed it to Lucy. "You should use this," Wendy said gravely. Lucy's hair was in all directions and looked strikingly similar to a squirrel's nest. Lucy ran the brush several times through her knotted hair until she could easily slide it through her golden locks. She handed the brush to Levy who took it gratefully. Levy quickly brushed out her hair, which was an easier feat since she had a shorter hairstyle.

The three of them gathered by the door ready to go. As they walked out the door Erza called to them, "Check on the guys while you're out there. If they're not up, wake them." Erza tossed a key for the boys' room to them. Lucy caught it with a nod and closed the door behind her.

The three of them walked down the hall to the guys' room. Lucy unlocked the door and opened it. The three of them let themselves inside. The room was an exact replica of the girl's room only the guys managed to get it messier. They found Laxus sitting at the same table Mira and Erza were sitting at looking intently at a map. Gajeel and Elfman were arm wrestling on the bed stand. Gray was leaning over a sleeping Natsu attempting to draw on his face with the hotel pen. None of them seemed to notice that the three of them had entered.

"Ahem," Levy said. Laxus glanced up and over his map, Gajeel and Elfman turned their heads in the girls' direction, and Gray stopped trying to draw on Natsu's face.

"Hey,"

"Whassup?" Gajeel said with a slight strain in his voice from the continuous arm wrestling.

"Erza said to make sure you're awake,"

"Most of us are," Gray looked towards Natsu.

"I'm not surprised." Lucy sighed. Gray leaned down and slapped Natsu's face a couple times. Natsu groaned and opened his eyes.

"Morning." Natsu yawned. The girls shook their heads.

"Well, we're heading down to breakfast. Anyone want to come with?" Gray, Natsu, and Gajeel ended up tagging along with them. The six of them ate breakfast together and chatted amongst themselves. Lucy tried desperately to keep Natsu from eating the whole buffet. Luckily, they were one of the last ones to eat, so there wasn't much left for Natsu to get his hands on.

They ate quickly and hurried back to their rooms to get ready.

After about two hours, everyone was ready gathered in the lobby ready to go. Most everyone was eager to finally get registered as a real guild. Lucy's worries, however, we racing in her mind on again. The last thing she wanted was to lie on official documents. Even giving her real name was a risk. Surely, the people working at the Headquarters would know who she was and it would only take one of them to leak the information of where she'd be going and who with. Even without giving her name, there was a high chance of her being recognized.

The guild walked out of the hotel and Lucy followed farther behind them, her head to the ground. She squeezed her hands anxiously. Natsu slipped back to her side. He always seemed to do that. Whenever Lucy was alone or separated from the rest of the guild, Natsu always joined her. Natsu looked down at the ground with Lucy.

"Oi, Luce, can we talk," Natsu asked. Lucy made sure to look up slightly and stopped squeezing her hands.

"What's up?"

"Well, remember when Erza said you had to list what keys you had on the registration forms?" Natsu asked. Lucy's head shot up. Her heart raced. Did Natsu know about the other keys? Did he find out who she was? Or maybe he knew all along?

Lucy gulped. "Y-yeah" She stuttered.

"Well, I was hoping you would leave out the key I gave you. I don't really want the others knowing about it yet. I thought maybe we could keep it to ourselves for awhile. I also wanted to ask you if you'd help find out more about it. I don't know if you know this, but at the Registry center, they have a large book with all the keys that are in existence. New pages appear whenever a key is created and pages disappear when a key's room is completed." Natsu asked. Lucy was instantly relieved.

"Can you do that?"

"Yeah. It's really not all that strict. Guilds find new keys and change members and guild names all the time. The forms are quite easy to modify. People lie on their forms all the time. They just ask for that so they can keep track of which keys are found and in someone's possession. It also allows official proof that your guild owns the key so that way it's illegal to take them. Without that type of documentation keys are technically free game and if they get stolen there's not much the government can do." Natsu said. It was like he knew all the right things to say to wash all her troubles away. Lucy smiled gratefully. She wanted to hug the guy, but she stopped herself.

"Then of course. I'll keep it between us until you what to tell the others. And I'll certainly come help you find more about it."

"Perfect. We can come back to the Guild Center tomorrow by ourselves. It shouldn't be too hard to slip away from the others." Natsu smiled. Natsu jogged ahead to the group. Lucy hurried ahead to join them.

The Guild Information and Registry Center wasn't very far from the hotel. The guild stood in front of the many concrete steps that lead to its entrance. It was a large marble building. The middle part of the building was a large rectangle with a maroon triangle roof. Smaller rectangles came off both sides of the middle one with a dome-shaped top. The building had many windows that you couldn't see through. The steps led to an open-roofed section that was held by large marble pillars. A pair of large wood maroon-painted double doors stood tall under the marble canopy. Groups of two to twenty people walked in and out of the building.

Lucy marveled at the building from where she stood in the back of the group. Even Laxus stopped for a moment and just took it all in before beginning to lead the group up the main steps. The guild walked up them together. It was a very surreal moment for all of them. It was hard to ignore the feeling of excitement fluttering in their hearts.

The couple minutes it took them to get to those daunting doors felt like a century. Laxus and Elfman pushed open the doors and the group shuffled inside. The floor was a slick marble covered by a rug the same burnt maroon color as the doors. To the right, there was a large lounge area with several various sized groups of people sitting and standing talking amongst each other. The back wall had an elevator that people came in and out of.

To the left, there were several metal chairs and longs tables that people sat and scribbled away at piles of papers. People would get up and get plastic cups of water from a dispenser only to sit down and continue filling away at the forms.

In front of them, there was a large kidney-shaped wooden desk with three women behind it. They answered calls on the phone and wrote things down on papers. Far behind them, there was a long counter separated into several small even cubicles similar to a ticket booth. People waited in lines in front of them separated by red velvet ropes.

Laxus approached the desk and the woman standing in the middle. The woman had long dirty blond hair that flowed in gentle waves down her back. She wore a tight green dress with a long brown jacket over it. A pair of rectangle glasses sat on her nose. She seemed to sport a scowl. She looked up at them and surprised Lucy with a smile.

"Well if it isn't Laxus and his little fairies." She beamed. It was almost too happy. Lucy couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.

"Long time no see Evergreen," Laxus said. "How is Freed and Bickslow?"

"Oh, they were doing well last time I saw them. Freed misses you of course. He always asks if you've ever gotten registered and if you had a girlfriend." Evergreen laughed.

"Well, that's what brings me here today," Laxus said.

"To get a girlfriend?" Evergreen snickered.

"Very funny but no."

"I thought both were highly improbable. I truly never thought I'd see the day. I was always hoping you'd come back to the group with us, the OG of Fairy Tail." Evergreen said. "Anyway, which one of these little fairies is your Key Keeper. I know it's not Scarlet or the Strausses. So one of these little guys?" The rest of the guild parted for Lucy to step forward. Lucy did nervously.

"I'm the Key Keeper." She managed. She raised her arm up slightly as she said it. Evergreen stared at her for a long moment with a look that could just about turn someone to stone. Lucy was sure Evergreen recognized who she was.

"Do you know who this is?" Evergreen stated with wide eyes that darted across the members who looked back confused. Lucy froze in place. Natsu jumped in immediately.

"Of course! It's Luce." Natsu shouted gleefully. "Only the best Key Keeper out there for the best guild out there." Evergreen raised an eyebrow. No one noticed the deadly look Natsu gave Evergreen who seemed to get the message.

"Yeah, okay," Evergreen said slowly. "But you're not a guild yet. Go on ahead and get your forms. And since Laxus is a friend, I'll sign you up for a free consultation with our best Key Expert at five o'clock. So hurry and finish those forms. Come to me once you turn them in and I'll send you to her." Laxus thanked Evergreen. She nodded in return and made eye contact with Lucy one last time. Amusement gleamed in the woman's eyes. Lucy didn't let anything on her face show and turned her head away. The guild followed Laxus to the booths.

"Alright, wait here, and I'll get the forms. We can work together to fill them out quickly."

They waited about ten minutes for Laxus to go through the line. He came out of it with a large stack of papers.

"Geez, how much paperwork does there need to be," Wendy said.

"A lot of it is just asking for signatures and agreeing to certain conditions and such," Laxus said. "Making your guild name and members official and documented, information needed to create a bank account, things like that."

"There's a lot of extra words," Gray added. They followed Laxus to a table and filled out the papers. Lucy signed her name as Lucille Heart instead of Lucy Heartfilia and hoped her guildmates wouldn't pay too much attention and think her name was really Lucille. She signed the papers several times with this name. She put down that she had six silver keys were included the five she had originally and the one that Natsu and Gray found the day they met Lucy.

It took about three hours to go through the papers. It was around four forty in the afternoon. Laxus turned the papers in and then met back with Evergreen at the front desk. She sent them to the second floor in room 100. The guild went up in the elevators (five of them in one six in the other). They found room 100 and walked inside without knocking.

The room was mainly lit by a large window with many flowers lined on its sill. In the center of the room sat a large wooden desk covered in papers, pens, books, and others knickknacks. Something caught Lucy's eye. In a glass case on the desk was a gold key with rose gold designs coming off the bottom. The rose gold wrapped around the base of the key to the bottom. The door opened behind them. The group turned around to see a short young looking girl with wavy blond hair. She wore a frilly pale pink dress with blue ribbons hanging from it.

"Oh dear, you got here before me." She smiled. She walked past them and hopped into the swirling chair behind her desk. "I'm Mavis Vermillion. Please introduce yourselves." The members let out a plethora of greetings, each one mixed with the own personal flair.

"I'm Laxus, Miss Vermillion."

"The name's Elfman, M'lady."

"I'm Mira, nice to meet you, Mavis."

"Erza, mam."

"Gajeel."

"It's a pleasure to meet you miss Mavis, I'm Levy."

"I am Gray.

"I'm Natsu. Nice to meet cha'"

"Hello, Mavis, I'm Wendy."

"My name's Lucy."

Mavis smiled and nodded. "What nice names you guys have. What's your guild name?"

"It's Fairy Tail," Laxus said. Mavis grinned and squealed happily.

"Oh, wow, What a lovely name!" Mavis said gleefully. "I think I've heard it before once upon a time."

"My Grandfather ran a guild by the same name," Laxus said. Mavis nodded.

"I see." Mavis smiled but didn't seem to explain herself. Instead, she looked directly at Lucy and cocked her head. "You look very familiar. You look just like a woman named Layla." Lucy slouched and gave a weak smile.

"What a strange coincidence." Lucy laughed nervously. She didn't know how this woman knew her mother, but she was too afraid to find out. She couldn't risk her identity getting out to the others.

"Hmm. The thing is I'm not so sure it is." Mavis said suspiciously with a smile in her voice. Natsu seemed to move closer to Lucy in a protective manner. "Well, in any case, I have a feeling you, Miss Lucy, are the key keeper of this here lovely guild called Fairy Tail." Lucy nodded. Mavis motioned for her to move forward. "Show me what you have." The girl's eyes were eager and she seemed to sway back in forth in her chair.

"Yes, mam." Lucy went to her belt and pulled out the six silver keys she kept separate from the others. The others watched closely. Mavis took each one and observed them closely.

"These are some promising keys you have here," Mavis said. Her statements always seemed to be said like she knew something no one else did. It made Lucy uneasy. "They belong to Argentum Tower in East Forest near Magnolia town."

"How do you know?" Gajeel asked with a doubting tone. Levy hit him in the arm.

"Simply because it's my job to know," Mavis replied. She grinned an innocent juvenile grin.

"Sorry, Miss Vermillion, please excuse the three dimwits if they act dumb." Laxus apologized. The rest of them looked at him.

"Hey, we were being good," Natsu stated. Gray nodded defensively. Erza shot them a glare.

"Please go on, Mavis," Mira said. "We're sorry to interrupt you." Mavis gave a patient smile. She placed the keys in a row. She pointed to one with a green cross on it.

"This one is called Crux, the Southern Cross," Mavis said. She pointed to the next, one with a clock symbol on it. "This one is Horologium, the Pendulum Clock." The next one had a symbol that resembled a harp. "This is Lyra, the Lyre." The keys next in line was a key with the shape of wings at the bottom and one with a moon and star symbol. "Deneb, the Swan and Caverna, the Cave Serpent." Mavis tapped the last one which had a blue symbol that resembled a head. "And Finally Nikora, the Canis Minor."

"Wow, it's really amazing how you can tell the names by just looking at the key," Wendy said impressed.

"I have a good memory is all," Mavis said. "Anything else you need?" The guild members shook their heads.

"Thank you very much, Mavis." The guild members nodded and gave their own versions of praise before leaving. The guild members all left ahead of Lucy while she gathered her keys. Lucy was about to walk out the door to join the rest when Mavis's voice stopped her.

"They're a good family Lucy Heartfilia," Mavis said. Lucy looked back expecting a devious or evil look but only found a sympathetic smile. Her chin was rested on her folded palms. Her large eyes seemed to sparkle with nostalgia. "Don't lose them." Lucy eased and managed a timid smile.

"I don't plan on it, Miss Mavis," Lucy said softly.

"Stop by sometime before you leave if you'd like, Lucy." Mavis offered.

"I think I just might," Lucy said. Natsu popped his head into the doorway startling Lucy. Natsu gave a look of concern and suspicion.

"You coming, Luce?" Natsu asked looking to Lucy. Lucy nodded slowly.

"Yeah, Natsu." Lucy smiled. Natsu waited for Lucy to walk out before him. Natsu turned to Mavis who was still smiling.

"You know who she is?" Mavis asked with fake curiosity. It was clear she already knew the answer. Natsu turned away.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said as he walked out of the door. Mavis gave a knowing smile as he left.

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 **Well** , **you got some Evergreen and Mavis, you didn't ask for it, but you got it.** (Any character you want to see? Just ask and I'll see what I can do!)

 **Thank you for taking your time to read. You're a lovely person, who deserves a lovely day!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Heyo, I'm uploading another chapter because why not. There's more Mavis, but still no Happy. Happy will probably be in the next chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

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The next morning, Natsu met with Lucy in the lobby. Natsu sat patiently on the brown sofa that was soft and lumpy from so much use.

The pair had been with the guild through breakfast, but as lunch rolled around they slipped away. They hadn't told the others where they were going, but they knew their friends wouldn't be worried by their absence. Especially when they were all off doing their own things.

Levy and Wendy were going to the library. They had invited Lucy, but she declined due to her promise to Natsu. Which was honestly extremely hard to do, especially after seeing their faces when she declined. Cana, Elfman, and Laxus were going bar hopping throughout town, something that they made sure to do at least once in every town they stayed in. Mira and Erza were going shopping and visiting some pastry shops. Gajeel and Gray were going weapon shopping and training, which Natsu had to decline (just as Lucy had) because of the commitment. They all would be too busy to even notice their absence in the first place.

Natsu spotted Lucy coming from the hallway. She wore a white blouse tucked into a high-waisted brown skirt that was covered by her skirt was longer than normal, stopping halfway down her thigh rather than the usual quarter length. Still, you could see plenty of her cocoa butter colored legs that looked irresistibly smooth. Around her waist were her whip, belt, and keys. Her blond hair was pulled back so you could see her small ears. Natsu got strangely warm when he saw the tiny star earrings in her ears.

Natsu greeted her with a hospitable smile. He met her side and they walked out of the hotel together. They headed in the direction of the Guild Center. Lucy finally had a chance to really pay attention to the town. The streets were cobbled and pretty wide. On each side of the street houses, restaurants, and shops ran along it. The buildings were a white stone with many windows in a different shape and placement for each building. Wood panels were placed on the buildings in various patterns and topped with a burnt orange or red roof.

Nearly all the buildings were decorated with flowers of all colors. Various vendors sat on the side of the streets and a variety of people walked the streets coming to and from shops and homes. The streets smelled faintly of flowers. Occasionally, there would be a cobbled bridge lined with flowers that they'd walk under as people walked above them. The city was very beautiful.

"Thanks for doing this with me, Luce," Natsu said as the Guild Center neared closer.

"You don't need to thank me Natsu. That's what are friends for." Lucy smiled.

Lucy wasn't sure why, but somehow she had gotten the closest to Natsu. She had spent the more time with him than any of the other guild members. She always seemed to always unconsciously gravitate towards him. Or maybe he gravitated towards her. She couldn't really tell. She really did enjoy his company, though he did have his setbacks. She just was strangely safe around Natsu. Ever since their first interaction back at the spring and their second meeting in town she felt protected whenever she was near him.

"Well, I think I should anyway." Lucy's lips curved upward the smallest amount. She held her hands behind her back and cocked her hooded head in Natsu's direction.

"Can you tell me about your father Natsu?" Lucy asked. "I'd like to know more about him." Natsu grinned excitedly. She couldn't help but be curious. Besides, she looked the way he lit up when he talked about the man.

"Igneel was the best really. He was very patient and caring, but strict whenever he needed to be. Whenever I got discouraged or couldn't do something, he was always there to encourage me and keep me going. He taught me how important it was to have friends and to always protect the things I care about. Igneel lost a lot in his lifetime. He never told me, but I could see it on his face." He paused for a moment examining Lucy's expression. "I think that's why he stressed protecting the things you care about. But he also told me sometimes you can't protect someone anymore and you have to let them go." Natsu said. He looked to Lucy who gave him a warm smile. "I think he'd like you, Lucy. If I ever find him, you'll be the first one to meet him."

"Natsu, that's..." Lucy smiled. She began to fidget with her hands. "I mean I'd be honored. I really would. But I don't think I deserve it all that much. I mean we're still strangers. " Natsu laughed, by now he'd expected Lucy to say just that.

"Igneel told me, the same night he gave me the gold key, that he once had a Key Keeper. He described her as the best; smart, brave, kind, and full of brilliant spirit. I think you fit that description perfectly really. I think he'd be proud I found such an amazing Key Keeper and friend. " Natsu paused to look Lucy straight in the eyes. "And though we really don't know much about each other, I really don't think we're strangers at all. In a weird way, I feel like we're connected." Lucy looked at Natsu with a sentimental expression. Her eyes were glossy like she was going to cry. Her lips were pressed into a tight but not forced smile and her cheeks flushed a rosy pink. Without thinking she squeezed Natsu into a hug. Natsu grinned widely and hugged her back. She never felt less alone.

They parted before the contact could become awkward and both faced forward. Lucy hadn't noticed, but they had arrived at the steps leading to the entrance of the building already.

"You wanna race me up the stairs?" Natsu asked. Lucy gave a thoughtful look before giving a small frown.

"But you'll beat me,"

"It's only for fun, Luce. If you want—" In the midst of Natsu's talking, Lucy darted up the stairs with a laugh. "Hey, that's cheating" Natsu shouted running after her.

Natsu ended up winning anyway. Lucy pouted in defeat while Natsu boasted loudly getting looks from the people around them.

"I was going to let you win but then you cheated," Natsu informed her. His toothy grin seemed to mock her now. Lucy elbowed him lightly.

"Whatever, pinky, let's go," Lucy said annoyed. Lucy pushed the door open and walked inside. Natsu hurried after her.

Lucy and Natsu walked up to Evergreen behind the front desk. Evergreen glanced up at them with a suspicious look.

"What are you little fairies doing back here."

"I would like to request another consultation with Miss Mavis," Lucy said before Natsu could speak. Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"What are you going to that lady for?" Natsu asked. Lucy waved him off.

"Sorry, but she's busy today. She isn't doing any consultations." Evergreen informed them.

"Can you call and tell her Lucy of Fairy Tail wants to talk?" Lucy asked. Evergreen sighed.

"I mean I guess, but don't get your hopes up." Evergreen said annoyed. She called Mavis's office. "Hello, sorry to bother you Mavis, but Lucy Heart . . . er . . . of Fairy Tail has requested another consultation." Mavis's voice could be heard faintly from the phone.

"Oh goody! Sent her up!" Mavis said happily through the phone. Evergreen looked surprised.

"Alright then." Evergreen hung up. "Go ahead, I guess." She said. Lucy bowed in thanks and walked to the elevator. Natsu followed behind her confused.

Lucy and Natsu arrived at Mavis's office. They walked inside. Mavis smiled a smile so big her eyes squinted closed. As she opened them she looked slightly taken aback.

"I didn't expect you to be here Natsu." Mavis smiled before returning her gaze to Lucy. "I'm so glad you decided to come to me to talk Lucy."

"Well, I'm here but I'm not sure why" Natsu huffed. Natsu grabbed Lucy's arms and pulled her to the side. "I thought we were gonna research the Key, Luce. Why are we here." He whispered harshly.

"She's an expert, Natsu. It would save us the trouble of looking for the information we need."

"I have a bad feeling about her though, Luce," Natsu said giving a sideways glance to Mavis.

"I really can't imagine why. She hasn't done anything to cause you suspicion." Lucy said. "Now knock it off and be polite." Lucy dragged Natsu forward. She reached into the pouch on her belt and pulled out the gold key she gets away from the rest. She set it on the table. Natsu watched biting his lip. Mavis raised an eyebrow like it wasn't what she was expecting.

"We would like to know what you could tell us about this key," Mavis nodded slowly.

"May I?" She reached for the key.

"No." Natsu blurted. Lucy nudged him as soon as the word slipped his tongue.

"Natsu," Lucy said. "She's helping us." Natsu pouted and crossed his arms.

"Fine." He spat. Mavis gave a patient but wavering smile and picked up the gold flame shaped key in her hands. Mavis seemed to get a distant look.

"Where'd you get this?" She asked. Her voice took on a different tone. It was more serious but still calm.

"My father gave it to me,"

"I don't see how that's possible," Mavis said. "No one is supposed to know about these let alone have one. I'm going to have to take this." Natsu's eyes widened and his hands slammed into Mavis's desk.

"You can't take it!" Natsu shrieked. The boldness of his voice seized Lucy's heart for a moment.

"It's not registered under your name. So legally I can." Mavis said her voice was considerably grimmer than it was before. Each word got graver and graver. Natsu tried to charge at her but Lucy held him back squeezing his shoulders desperately.

"Mavis, that key means a great deal to Natsu. You can't take it. It was his father's, then his, and now mine. His father found that key." Lucy's eyes seemed to plead with Mavis.

"He didn't find it. He must've lied." Mavis said. She squeezed the key harder. "This belongs to a Key Keeper named Zeref. I don't know how you got it but I do know he had it originally."

"I don't care! Give it back! Igneel told me to protect that and I won't let you take it." Natsu yelled. His hands grabbed at the air trying to grasp the key. Mavis stared at Natsu.

"Igneel?" Mavis asked. Her face fell immediately. Her whole body seemed to melt. "Igneel couldn't possibly have a son."

"Yes, he did. He adopted me." Natsu said. Mavis set the key down on the table. Natsu snatched it from the table and pressed it into Lucy's hand. Mavis put her hands under her chin and thought a moment

"Zeref must've given the key to Igneel. I apologize." Mavis frowned. She looked away in shame.

"It's okay. It was only a misunderstanding. Right Natsu?" Lucy gripped Natsu sleeve and tugged it lightly. He bobbed his head up and down once.

Mavis's eyes widened suddenly like she remembered something. She bit the tip of her thumb. "You must be the one then. Yes, things are becoming clearer now." It seemed the statement was mostly to herself like she was saying her thoughts out loud. "And you're with Layla's daughter. Fate really is coming together quite nicely. Hold on Natsu, Lucy, I have something to give you." Mavis got up out of her chair and disappeared out of the door. Lucy and Natsu stood confused as they watched her leave. Lucy's hand still gripped Natsu's sleeve.

Lucy turned to Natsu with a frown. Her face was still pale with fear.

"I'm sorry, Natsu. You almost lost your key because of me."

"No, it's your key now remember. It's alright, Luce. You didn't know that was gonna happen." Natsu said. Lucy couldn't tell if he meant it or not, which scared her because his emotions always shown in his sleeve. She was never uncertain of what he was feeling.

"I promise to keep it safe Natsu. Because it's precious to you and now it's precious to me." Lucy assured him. Natsu managed a small smile and a nod. Mavis came back with a small chest. She set it on her desk and pulled out a key from around her neck. She unlocked it and pulled out something wrapped in black silk cloth. She unwrapped it carefully to review and pulled out a platinum colored key with silver attachments coming from its tops and coiling down to the bottom.

"The key in your hand belongs to a series of six Elemental Keys that were discovered by the Key Keeper called Zeref. Inside each key's room, it was said that it contained immense magic power. That one is Ignis, the Fire." Mavis explained. "This key called Aether, the emptiness. It is one of the most powerful keys known to man." She seemed to clench her teeth as she leaned forward slightly. "The moment Zeref held this key in his hand it began to suck the life out of him. Slowly, he lost his sanity and will to live until he disappeared altogether. You see, this Key is different from all others. It has the ability to suck the life energy out of anything it touches and it is then added to the power held within its room, a truly dark power. But to open its rooms you need to complete the others. Before Zeref disappeared he hid the other keys and told very few about them. He gave this one to me."

"Why are you holding it then? Isn't it draining you like it did to Zeref." Lucy asked. Mavis shook her head.

"This may be confusing to understand but I'm not quite human like you. But rather I'm an embodiment of the magical power of another very powerful key." Mavis motioned to the key that sat in a glass case on her desk.

"If it's so powerful, then why keep it out in the open like that,"

"It's magic power protects it. Unlike Aether, Lux, The Light, emits power rather than taking it." Mavis said.

"Are you one of the elemental keys then?" Lucy asked. Mavis shook her head.

"No. Lux was the first key to appear on earthland. It creates all the other keys. That is the reason why I know so much about them. The same power is what adds new pages to the book that is held here. When the key was put into Earthland, so was I. I haven't always been working here. Before this, I had traveled with Zeref for a short time. And before that, I traveled alone." Mavis said.

"You said you were giving that key to us though. Won't it drain our life energy?" Natsu asked.

"Indeed it will. Of course, it's up to you to take on the burden of having it." Mavis said.

"Why give it to us?" Lucy asked.

"That is what Zeref had requested."

"Why would he request to give it to me?"

"I don't think now's the time to tell you that, Natsu," Mavis said. "But come back to me when you're older and I'll tell you then. If you don't find out yourself or course."

"What do we do if we take the key?" Lucy asked bringing the subject back around.

"Defeat its room and keep it out of the wrong hands,"

"How do you know we are the right hands?"

"I don't. But you both are quite promising." Mavis said. "So will you take it or not."

"Yes," Lucy said while Natsu said no. Lucy looked at Natsu with a curious look.

"You're not carrying around a key that's sucking the life out of you Lucy. That's not happening." Natsu said.

"You could always hold it, Natsu." Mavis pointed out. Natsu thought about that for a moment.

"Alright, we'll take it then," Natsu said. Mavis took a chain necklace with a small flower on the bottom and gave it to Natsu.

"You can have this. It will help protect you from Aether's power and slow down its effects." Mavis said. She then attached the key to a string and placed it in Natsu palm along with the necklace.

"It's a girl necklace," Natsu muttered.

"I'm willing to wear the necklace and key if the necklace bothers you that much, Natsu. " Lucy said. Natsu shot her down instantly and put both around his neck and tucked them into his scarf. The pair waved goodbye to Mavis and walked out of her office.

"That was nothing like I was thinking we'd learn,"

"Do you feel it draining you, Natsu?" He shook his head.

"Don't worry Lucy I'll be fine."

She had the strong desire to tell Natsu her secret. They were already keeping so many together. She knew Natsu wouldn't tell. She knew Natsu would help her through it, he actually already was without even trying. She trusted Natsu more than she thought she could trust anyone. Natsu had been so open with her as well. Besides, it'd be good to get it off her chest. She took a deep breath and huffed it out. She couldn't tell him today. He had just discovered so many things already. And besides, Lucy didn't think she'd be able to muster up enough courage or find the right words to tell him that she had been lying to his face.

The two of them walked back to the hotel in a strange silence. It was as if everything was just settling into them. A lot of things were still left unexplained and there were a lot of answers that they both wanted, but they hadn't the time. Plus, Mavis wasn't so willing to give them. Maybe fate would make everything clear in the end. All Natsu and Lucy needed was to be patient.

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 **Welp, there you go folks. I don't when I'll update again. Hopefully, soon.**

 **I'm feeling a little saucy so I might have a chapter that takes place in the past just so I can have some zervis moments.**

leave a review, or not, the choice is yours

Edited and Refined: 02-25-18 (should've been done a lot sooner but life got in the way.)


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again. This chapter flips from the past to present a lot so be prepared. I think I'm going to do that now, but it won't always be the same people. This is my longest chapter so far. I tried to edit it better than I usually do, but if there's still some mistakes sorry. Hope you enjoy!**

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Mavis had been walking through the endless woods for as long as she could remember. She didn't know where she was going, she just walked and walked. Everything seemed to look the same after a while and time didn't really pass for her. As far as she could tell, the whole world was on pause. She wished for a change in scene, yet she didn't search for it. Something told her to just keep walking and she'd find what she was meant to find.

She wore a loose white sundress that a woman with soft eyes and worn, once sweet features had given her a long while back. The woman had found her naked wandering near her home in the forest. Mavis got her name from her. The woman had said Mavis was her late daughter's name, so she gave it to the young looking girl. Mavis only was with the woman for a month. Then something made her leave, that feeling she always had. She always began to feel anxious when she stayed somewhere too long.

Now she was alone again. With endless names and images of keys that she didn't know what to do with. They piled up in her mind, cluttering her brain. She didn't know how they all fit, but they did. She wished she could forget them and clear her mind of the information, but she knew she couldn't.

Around her neck was a white gold key that seemed to glow. Mavis had this with her always since the day she'd appeared in this world. She made sure not to take it off of her. It was apart of her. She feared without it she'd disappear.

One day, a day were she felt particularly feverish, she'd noticed a traveler in the woods. For once in a very long time, she stopped walking. She didn't feel the need to start up again once she did. Her being allowed her to. She pressed her bare toes into the grassy soil in anticipation. She watched him with glittering eyes concealed by a tree. Her soft pink lips parted a tad in amazement of the man to whom she felt so strangely attracted to.

He had short black hair, large dark onyx eyes with highlights of a deep creamy brown that in another like wouldn't be detectable, a slender frame, pale skin, and young features. He wore black harem pants and black strappy sandals. Around his neck, there was a pendant and a platinum key on a silver chain. His face looked drained but strangely content. His pale skin gleamed in the sunlight making him appear supernatural. Mavis was immediately drawn to him or perhaps it was the key. Though, who's to know the difference between the two, as Mavis was the key and the key was very much her.

Mavis's glossy emerald eyes skittered across the image of the man taking him in. She noticed a black smoke coming from the key hanging from his neck. No, it wasn't coming from it, but going into it. It came in faint whips of gray and created a thickness around the man. It almost undetectable to even her. Intrigued, Mavis approached him. But as soon as she took a step nearer, he began to walk faster. He hadn't seemed to have noticed her though. She was certain he hadn't seen her. Mavis quickly caught up with him before she could lose him.

Quickly tired of the childlike pursuit, she cut him off and stood in front of him so he could walk anymore. She small hands were pressed against her hips and first. She leaned forward slightly. Her long creamy yellow hair fell delicately in front of her swinging slightly while suspended in the air, and was the only indication she was leaning at all. The man's eyes widened like he'd just noticed her. He stood frozen in place.

The man's supernatural and entrancing demeanor was now almost completely gone. Now he looked like any man. However, the was anxiousness ridden in his toned muscles. Mavis shuffled forward, her arms falling gradually from her waist with each step. She reached out to the key on his neck and held it in her small hand. He seemed to wince as he did. His body tensed and his eyes twitched with confusion and irritation.

"Aether, the emptiness," The words crawled of her tongue. While the name of the key came to her without even meaning to, the words were strange in her mouth. She hadn't spoken in so long. She was surprised words could still be formed. "Do you have any more?" Mavis asked quickly. The man, taken aback, gave a strained nod.

"Show me,"

"No." The man clenched further, this time his teeth joined his muscles. "And don't touch that. It's dangerous." He said. Mavis gripped the key tighter in her palm before dropping it back to his chest stubbornly. She knew all too well it was dangerous. She also knew a mortal like him shouldn't be near it.

"Show me," Mavis demanded again. The man refused. But Mavis didn't need to see them. She could feel their presence. She closed her eyes. The images and names of the keys came to her almost instantly. Caeli, The Air. The image of a gold key with details of white and a pair of wings at its end. Metallum, The Metal. It had silver and bronze detailing twisting down the whole thing. Aqua, The Water. This key had light blue gems placed in patterns down it. The symbol of a wave was shown at one end. Terra, The earth. The key had bronze that wrapped around it then came off making a tree shape. Ignis, The Fire. The golden key had flame shaped details coming from it. Mavis noted he had some other less powerful keys with him as well.

"What are you doing?" He asked. Mavis opened her eyes to see the man scowling at her revealing delightfully pointed canines. The expression made him look like a territorial dog.

"You have all of the elemental keys with you?" Mavis asked surprised, ignoring the expression. "How did you obtain all of them?" The man stepped back away from her. He wore a snarl still, but it was subdued. Now his nostril flared only slightly, his lip raised the smallest amount, and his eyebrows scrunched together to create tiny hills of flesh.

"How do you know that?"

Mavis gestured to the key around her neck without explaining herself further. He let go of his scowl in order to look down curiously at her chest.

"I'll ask the questions here," Mavis said sternly. The man stared at the key around her neck for a long moment. It was clear he hadn't noticed it until Mavis pointed it out to him. Mavis shifted her body wait nervously. The long stare made her uncomfortable. She put her hand over the key and shot the man a glare. The man's eyes flicked upwards once more to look Mavis straight into her sparkly green eyes. "Tell me how you got those."

"I found them." The man said. Mavis waited for him to elaborate. He didn't say anything more. She glanced at Aether around his neck. The dark smoke continued to spill into it.

"It would be wise to give that to me,"

"And why's that?" The man took a small step backward and tightened his fists a bit. His chocolaty eyes shot her a sharp glare. Mavis ground her teeth. She shouldn't lose her patience if she was to get him to cooperate. She huffed out the air she seemed to be holding in.

"Because, like you stated before, it's dangerous," Mavis said. "It's draining the life from you. And from the looks of it, you don't have much longer before it drains you completely."

"It's my burden." He stated. "Besides, it's my right to have it."

"And why's that?"

"I'm a Key Keeper." It sounded familiar. Somewhere in her cluttered mind, she knew the term, but she wasn't able to dig it out.

"What in Earthland is that?"

"You aren't one then?" The man asked surprised. "Then why do you have a key? Unless you intend to sell it, in that case, I'll buy it from you." The man said. Mavis shook her head frantically.

"No, I'm not selling anything. Especially not this key. Now answer my question." Mavis demanded.

"A Key Keeper is simply that. Someone who can obtain and use keys to open rooms in towers and get power and treasure." The man said. But Mavis knew that already she just hadn't realized it. The information came to her now.

"A Key Keeper," Mavis said letting the information settle. Mavis nodded. She could sense it. The magical power that he had in him. It was unusual that he was alone. Usually, key keepers had companions.

"Yes. That's what I said." The man said annoyed. Mavis shook her head as if to clear away the topic.

"Back to my original question," Mavis said forgetting about taking Aether from him. "How did you find all the Elemental keys?" The man sighed. He decided to tell her, probably in hopes she'd leave him alone afterward.

"I found this one by accident a little over a year ago." He held the chain that held Aether before dropping it again.

"In the northern mountains after completing a Silver key tower. I was traveling on foot and the trek was exhausting. So I found a cave to rest in for the night. I started a fire and everything was normal for a bit. But it wasn't long until I heard this faint whisper calling to me compelling me towards its source. I ignored it for a while, but the resisting became too much and I followed the whispers" He held Aether in his palm lightly.

"I found this key deep in the cave in a stone. When I touched it I knew right away the thing was evil, but I couldn't leave it there. I physically couldn't leave it. Ever since I took it, it leads me to the gold keys all over Earthland. Along the way, I could feel myself draining. It wasn't long before I realized the key you called, Aether, was, in fact, draining the life out of me. Yet, I couldn't and still can't be rid of it. Sometimes it feels as if I'm losing my mind." The man looked at Mavis with a look she couldn't quite place.

"Its whispers fill my head, but somehow they don't now. My mind is unusually clear. The key was compelling me away from you and the whispers went on about a bright light that I should stay away from." He paused. "I would've avoided you completely. But you followed me."

"You found all six keys in a year?" Mavis asked, not wanting to address what he had just brought up. He nodded.

"Less than a year. It became an obsession to find them, even if I didn't know what it was I was finding. I couldn't take a break and I had to do it quickly. The whispers from Aether guided be in the right direction, and the key itself compelled me to keep going. They took me to some strange and dangerous places. Ignis was inside a volcano, for example, and Aqua at the bottom of the ocean's floor." He described.

Mavis put her hand on her chin. She didn't know Aether could do such things. If it could control the person to do things and fill their head with its own thoughts, it was far more dangerous than she had thought. Surely, the power it holds within its room is far more dangerous. Aether shouldn't be in mortal hands, that was very clear. But Mavis was not confident this man would let her take the key from him. She should at least supervise him and see if she could learn more information.

"May I ask your name?" Mavis asked. The man blinked surprised by the question. He debated whether or not to say for a long moment.

"It's Zeref." He said finally. Mavis took his hand and shook it. Her grip was light. She was taken aback by the coldness of his hand.

"I'm Mavis." She said. "You mind if I join you on your journey for a while. I think it would be wise to have a companion if you're going to be carrying around something so dangerous."

"Yes, I do mind."

"Is that you or Aether talking," Mavis asked.

"Both." Zeref said. Mavis put her arms on her hips.

"Well, unfortunately, neither you nor Aether, have a choice, "

"Who are you anyway?"

"Like I said," She smiled with a wickedness that didn't seem to suit her. "I'm Mavis."

* * *

Natsu and company had left Crocus two days ago and were fresh on their journey to Magnolia. Natsu had been there several times before with Fairy Tail. It was one of the places Fairy Tail visited more frequently. At the far end of town was a large empty building that Laxus always said that he'd buy for the guild as a headquarters once they completed their first tower. It was like a silly pipe dream then, but now, Natsu was sure it was possible. The fact that their first tower was in East forest just next to Magnolia was surely fate.

The guild had been walking a good amount of distance without breaks. Their excitement helped propel them forward. And after a while, it seemed that their bodies became numb to their soreness and tiredness. Even so, Natsu was thankful they decided not to take the train again because, despite Wendy's efforts, he was still quite queasy during the ride. He didn't want to tell her that though and make her feel bad.

Laxus decided against taking a train for many reasons. Firstly, the cost. Fairy Tail was running low on funds which happened a lot, especially since they were big spenders. Natsu was surprised Laxus was willing to say in a hotel in Crocus. Secondly, riding the train takes away from the adventure of it all. Surely, riding on the train wouldn't make the moment when they finally reached the town nearly as exhilarating. Thirdly, they needed plenty of opportunities to train. On a train, ironically enough, you can't train, well at least not efficiently.

With the fear of another train ride miles from his worries, other things were on his mind. Natsu hadn't been completely sure before, but now he was. He was hearing voices. At first, it was only a random whisper that barely able to be heard. Now they were more clear and happened more than before. No one else could hear them, so they must be in his head. The whispers were something like, _Find the Keys_ , mostly. But sometimes it would be, _You won't fail me like he did_ , or, _Feel the life draining from you_. _Time is running out_ , or, _My power could be yours, Natsu_.

Natsu didn't like when it said his name. It sent shivers down his spine. However, the things they said allowed Natsu to conclude that they belonged to Aether. He didn't know keys could talk, but then again Mavis was technically a key wasn't she and she could do all kinds of things Natsu didn't think a key could do, including talking. Natsu was regretting agreeing to take the key. But even though he was regretting it, he knew he couldn't be rid off it. It became as attached to him as his scarf was, which was a considerably significant thing.

As for the draining, Natsu didn't seem to notice much. He wasn't ever more tired than usual or anything, but he did only have it for two days so far. From what Mavis had said, Zeref had it for a good amount of time. He wasn't complaining. The longer he didn't notice the effects the better. Mavis's necklace probably helped with that. However, the whispering was rather annoying. He found it troubling he could hear them already. He had thought it would take longer for them to emerge. He supposed they were more impatient than before. Natsu had a feeling it would become unbearable eventually, especially if he kept ignoring what it was telling him.

Things seemed to be moving rather quickly since he'd met Lucy. Natsu didn't mind it though. After all, he was always one for action. He wondered what the guild would've been doing now if Lucy never came into the picture. Possibly disbanded. Natsu wouldn't know what he would've done without Fairy Tail. It surely would've been a lot less fun and a lot more lonely. That's the main reason why Natsu was so grateful to Lucy.

Natsu and the others stopped to train for the day. Natsu was helping Lucy after much begging from her. He was hesitant at first. He hadn't really taught anyone before.

Lucy's form was pretty good, but she didn't have much strength yet. Natsu suggested she do daily workouts to build up her strength slowly. Lucy said it was a good idea, but Natsu could tell she wasn't too excited about it. He would have to make sure she actually did it and didn't "forget". He decided to teach Lucy a bit of sword fighting. It was important to know how to use many types of weapons even if it isn't your preference. This was something he learned from his father. Plus, he was most knowledgeable on this topic.

"Alright, Lucy," Natsu said, getting into a standard sword fighting position. Natsu usually did this instinctively and now that he was trying to think about what it was, it didn't come to him very easily. "Uh, just try to mimic what I'm doing right now." It was becoming clear to Lucy and Natsu himself that he wasn't a very good teacher. Erza, or even Gray, would've been a better option for this job. But Lucy asked him and he wasn't going to turn her down or let one of the others do the job instead. Lucy sloppily got into something that resembled what Natsu was doing. Natsu got out of his position and observed Lucy's. Natsu nudged Lucy to see how stable she was. She tumbled over slightly. Natsu bit his thumb.

"Depending on the style of fighting and sword, the way you stand, swing, and what techniques you use will differ. I don't really have a certain way I fight. I do it mostly instinctively. I learned the basics of sword fighting and different techniques from a lot of different fighting styles. This means my fighting is a lot more unpredictable. Which also makes it harder to teach you." Natsu explained, laughing slightly. "But I might be able to give you a few basic things." Lucy nodded.

"For this stance the hand that you have on top when holding the sword, so in your case, the right, is the leg is the leg you want to be forward, so the right leg. Your right foot should face forward. Your left foot should be at an angle. Both legs should be bent, but you left leg should typically be bent more." Lucy adjusted her stance to what he was describing. Natsu nodded in approvement. "The way you move your body should fit the way you swing. You should make your movements feel natural. This stance should be good for a simple swing in either direction and an up and down strike and some defensive moves."

Natsu went through how to do simple moves, having her repeat them several times. At first, Natsu wasn't sure he could really teach Lucy, but now he was doing pretty well. Lucy got the hang of all the basic things he'd shown her. Now, it was time to teach her when she should use these moves in battle.

Natsu and Lucy stood in front of each other in fighting positions. They waited to see who would take the first move. This was something he wanted Lucy to experience. The anticipation, patience, and trying to read your opponent. Natsu usually wasn't in that situation since he was the type to jump in with the first hit. Like Natsu wanted, Lucy struck first, bringing her sword down in a fast swift movement. Natsu blocked it almost as fast as it came and swung at Lucy. He struck at full speed but stopped himself right before the sword made contact with Lucy's side. Lucy blinked a few times in surprise.

"Wow, Natsu, you're fast." Lucy complimented. Natsu shrugged.

The two of them spared like this for the next couple hours until it was in the evening and the sun was lowering in the sky. The two of them walked beside each other to where the guild set up camp. Natsu wiped his sweaty forehead with his scarf and brushed back his pink locks.

"Good work today, Luce," Natsu said. Lucy smiled.

"Thank you." She said. "You taught better than I thought you would." Lucy's smile lingered on her lips.

"Thanks." He scratched the back of his head. He made a face. Natsu desperately needed to pee. "I'll catch up with you in a bit. I need to pee." Natsu told Lucy as he slipped away from her side and headed into the woods and little ways. She giggled to herself as she watched him scurry away.

...

Natsu peed for an unusually long time. He didn't know he needed to pee so bad. Natsu began to walk back into the direction of camp when something catches his eye in the distance. It looked like a large egg. Natsu suddenly got flashbacks from five years before. He'd found an egg in the woods that resembled the one he could see in the distance.

 _..._

 _"Natsu, what in Earthland do you have in your shirt?" Gray asked. "You look nine months pregnant with triplets."_

 _"Its an abandoned egg," Natsu said. "I'm keeping it warm."_

 _"I've never seen an egg that big in my life," Gray stated. By this comment, the others were now all looking at Natsu with curious and confused looks._

 _"Forget keeping it warm, we should cook it." Cana laughed. Natsu gave her a death glare._

 _"No one is going to lay a hand on this egg!" Natsu growled. His eyes darted to each of the members threatening them with only a look._

 _"Natsu, it's only an egg. Don't get so worked up." Laxus stated._

 _"There's a living thing inside it guys," Natsu argued. "The poor thing was abandoned. It'll die without my help. Whenever it hatches, I'll give whatever's inside a home and a family."_

 _"Aw, that's very sweet Natsu." Mira gushed. She pressed her palms together and placed them in from of her lips. Elfman nodded and patted him on the back with a strength that made him wince._

 _"A real man you're becoming, Natsu."_

 _"More like a mom." Gray teased. Levy cleared her throat._

 _"I hate to tell you this Natsu, but there's a chance that egg isn't even fertile. Even if it is, if it was abandoned for a while it could be dead."_

 _"You could make a very large cake with that egg if it isn't fertile," Erza stated. She stayed silent in a dreamlike state for the rest of the conversation, probably thinking about giant cakes. Natsu clenched his teeth but said nothing to the scarlet-haired woman in fear of her._

 _"It's gonna hatch. I'm gonna make sure of it." Natsu said storming off and holding the egg protectively._

 _Natsu rarely left the egg alone. He did everything he could to make sure it stayed at the right temperature and that it wouldn't crack. Several months passed without its hatching. Natsu still refused to believe that it wouldn't hatch. Finally, he accepted the truth. Teary-eyed, he buried the egg by himself without telling anyone. Since then no one really mentioned it, at least not in front of him. The topic was definitely a touchy one._

...

Natsu walked over to the egg. Upon closer inspection, he could see blue flame-like patterns on it. He placed his ear against it. He was sure he heard something inside of it. He grinned hopefully before hoisting the egg into his arms. He carried it back to the camp where the others, including Lucy, sat around the fire. His friends looked at him.

"Uh-oh. Natsu has another egg." Cana stated. Gray facepalmed.

"Natsu, haven't you learned your lesson from the last time?" Laxus asked stoically. His reactions to the group's hijinx were always that way, but Natsu imparticular. Running the guild must really wear the man down. Natsu crinkled his nose.

"No. I haven't." Natsu said a matter-of-factly.

"Natsu…" Levy sighed.

"There's a chance that there is something living inside the egg. And if I left it there with something living in it and that thing died because it didn't have anything to protect it, I couldn't live with myself." Natsu stated. Mira pressed her hands together; touched. Erza was in her cake dreamland again. Natsu really wanted to kick her in the shin to get rid of the thoughts.

"It's not gonna hatch," Cana stated taking a swig of her flask. This one was longer than they usually were. She was probably preparing herself for Natsu's fit that he was sure to have. Lucy, Wendy, and Gajeel exchanged looks. The three of them were out of the loop since they were newer members. Lucy stood up with a smile.

"I think it's super sweet, Natsu. I'm sure it will hatch and when it does it will be because of you." Lucy assured.

"Don't enable him," Gray said. Wendy stood now.

"I think it's good of Natsu." Wendy declared. Gajeel stared bored at the whole situation.

"This is ridiculous," Laxus said. "Natsu put the egg back." He was annoyed now.

"For all you know, it wasn't even abandoned and you just stole it from its mother. Which, from the size of that egg, is probably very large." Gray said.

"Guys. Stop bothering Natsu. He just wants to do the right thing. It won't bother you. Natsu can handle the outcome whether good or bad. He's done it before, without any of us." Mira reminded.

"Well, we're leaving tomorrow morning and walking for long stretches the next couple of days. It's your job to carry that thing around until it hatches if it ever will." Laxus said. Natsu nodded with a grim look on his face. He stalked off to where his sleeping stuff was. He created a small fire and wrapped the egg in his blanket to keep it warm. He watched it to see if there was any sign of life from it.

* * *

Mavis had been traveling with Zeref for a little over a month, though it certainly felt much longer. He hadn't gotten noticeably worse, from what Mavis could tell. He acted the same. He always seemed to be out of it and sleep deprived. Wearing the same empty expression. Mavis did manage to make him smile though. She could tell he was thankful for the company, even if he'd never admit it and definitely didn't act like he was.

Mavis and Zeref didn't try to complete any rooms together. They merely traveled from place to place. Mavis didn't completely understand Zeref's reason for this. Mavis suspected he was still trying to withstand Aether's compulsions to complete the Elemental rooms. She had no doubt the key wanted Zeref to finish them so he could unleash its power. Then again if the key wanted this, it shouldn't be draining Zeref.

It was a disabler but at the same it an enabler. The only way to get rid of the key was to complete its room or disappear into nothing as everything is drained from you. It was like an hourglass. The grains of sand slowly falling until there's nothing left and you have to flip it again. In the case of Aether, that would be to find a new person to complete its rooms. The thought made even Mavis shiver.

"Zeref. I'm bored." Mavis stated one afternoon. Zeref didn't say anything and kept walking. Mavis pouted at his lack of a response. It always took a lot to get something out of him. But in the end, Mavis would always come out successful. "You're great and all, but can get terribly lonely with only two people. And you never like to talk." Mavis took large exaggerated steps forward to pass Zeref.

"Well, you'd think you'd be used to being lonely. You traveled by yourself until meeting me isn't that right?" Zeref asked. Mavis stopped and did an about-face. Her dress twirled artfully along with her.

"That's a terrible idea," Mavis said. "Being used to loneliness."

"You didn't answer my question." Zeref stated looking past her. He walked around the stopped Mavis in his way.

"Yes, I did mostly travel alone," Mavis said catching up to him. "And I was lonely. I've decided it's one of the worst things. To be lonely." While she supposed that she had been lonely, at the time she didn't notice. She hadn't really known what it was like to have company, but now she was sure she'd be terribly saddened without it.

"Is that so?" Zeref asked. "I don't mind it. In fact, I think I prefer it."

"Ah, see. I was right it is a terrible thing." Mavis said. "You're used to being lonely."

"Believe it or not Mavis, some people want to be alone," Zeref noted.

"How could anyone want to be alone?" Mavis scoffed.

"Because maybe they find other people annoying and a waste of time." Zeref said a matter-of-factly.

"Are you trying to say you find me annoying and a waste of time?" Mavis put her hand on her hips and leaned back slightly to make herself look taller. Zeref looked at her from the corner of his eye. He gave a small smirk.

"Exactly." Zeref said. Mavis huffed.

"I think you like my company." Mavis gave a smirk of her own. "You just won't admit it."

"Keep dreaming." Zeref said. Mavis sensed something not too far ahead. They were keys. She could tell they were pretty powerful. Mavis rushed curiously ahead leaving Zeref in the dust with slight confusion dusted onto his otherwise stoic expression.

Mavis was met with two people. One was a middle-aged man with rusty hair and a strong build and the other was a pretty blond haired woman with starry eyes. The woman noticed her first. Her brown doe eyes widened and she smiled before tugging on the man's sleeve.

"We have a visitor." She informed him. Her voice was sweet and kind very much similar to honey. Mavis came forward and bowed in greeting.

"Hello, sorry to interrupt me and my traveling companion just happened to notice someone here and wanted to make friends. He should be here any second. He's a bit of a slow walker." Mavis laughed. She glanced behind anxiously seeing if he was in sight.

"It's really a pleasure." The woman smiled. "What's your name? I'm Layla and this is Igneel." Layla offered her hand to shake. Mavis took it.

"I'm Mavis." She said. As if on cue, Zeref came into the clearing. He gave Mavis a look of dread and almost turned around to walk back into the other direction. Mavis put her hands out to present him. "And this is Zeref."

"Nice to meet you. Are you a key keeper?" The man, Igneel, asked Mavis. His voice was a lot gruffer. His demeanor was a lot more careless than the polite woman.

Mavis shook her head. "No, but Zeref is. The key around my neck isn't one that can be used." Layla looked at Zeref for a long moment.

"That key. It's very powerful but it feels very sinister." Layla said. Zeref gripped the key protectively, learning his lesson from his encounter with Mavis.

"Mavis we should go." Zeref stated between his teeth. He tapped his foot impatiently. He looked like he was gonna combust.

"But we just got here. And these are the first people we've come across since I've joined you." Mavis said. She sat down around the fire. Zeref stood stubbornly apart from them. "You're a Key Keeper too, aren't you Layla. The keys you carry are pretty powerful as well." Layla nodded.

"Yes, you can say that."

"I can tell you about them if you'd like. It's a talent of mine." Mavis offered. Igneel gave Layla an urgent look. She didn't see it though. Layla shook her head.

"I'd rather not," Layla said. "I really don't mean to be rude, but I have to be cautious. There are people that would kill me for the keys I have." Mavis's eyes widened.

"No, of course. I understand. We've only just met after all." Mavis smiled. "There are truly awful people out there."

"Thank you for understanding." Layla smiled. "Would you like to stay around for dinner? Igneel caught several fishes today. We couldn't possibly eat all of them by ourselves." Igneel cleared his throat.

"Actually—" Igneel began to protest but Layla slapped him lightly.

"Actually, we should get going." Zeref stated. "It was rude of Mavis to intrude like that. If you're not careful she'll trick you into letting her travel with you." Zeref said grimly. The statement seemed more like an excuse to get away more than anything else.

"What there's no way I'd leave you, Zeref," Mavis argued. Zeref, however, didn't look relieved at all. He looked possibly even more troubled than before. "I need to keep an eye on you or you'll do something stupid."

"We really don't mind if you stay to talk for a bit. We haven't had the chance to talk to many people, especially another Key keeper. Most Key Keepers travel with a guild. So it's rare to see only a pair traveling together like we do." Layla insisted.

"See, they don't mind." Mavis smiled. "Don't be a downer Zeref. It's always nice to make new friends."

"Right . . ." Zeref scoffed.

* * *

Lucy was really impressed with Natsu. He's been carrying around that egg for the past three days and they've been walking all day with few breaks. Whenever they stopped to sleep, Natsu hardly left its side. She never imagined Natsu would take such initiative when it came to that sort of thing.

Lucy brought Natsu his food and took care of the egg when Natsu went to the restroom or when Lucy made him freshen up. She also gave Natsu company while he obsessed over keeping it warm or while he staggered behind the rest when walking because he didn't want to shake the egg too much. She figured it was the least she could do. She felt so bad that he was doing all this by himself. She couldn't bring herself to ignore him like the others.

Lucy was watching the egg while Natsu was in the bathroom. He'd been gone longer than he should've if he was only peeing, which gave Lucy an assumption she didn't really want to think about. Natsu had given her very clear instruction on how to take care of the egg. The insane attention to detail along with the way he explained it was rather humorous. But executing it wasn't the most flattering. Lucy was to wrap herself around the egg and hug it lightly. She'd made sure not to laugh when she'd seen Natsu do this, though she really really wanted to, the others weren't as merciful. They didn't spare Lucy either.

"How's the baby, Lucy?"

"Is Natsu the father?"

"Why don't you marry Natsu and you can be a big happy family."

"It must've been hell popping that one out." These statements came from Cana, Gray, and Gajeel mostly. They were the least merciful.

"Aw, it's so adorable. You're like a family! You and Natsu are so cute." Mira cooed often. Mira was never trying to tease though. That's just the way she thought. Wendy, Levy, and Elfman didn't tease her or Natsu at all, they merely just watched with a curious eye. Erza mostly stared at the egg and gave the occasional comment about baking a cake.

Gray and Wendy walked over to Lucy. Wendy wore a large smile. Gray looked like he was trying to hold a laugh.

"Just don't Gray," Lucy said with a sigh. She had been sitting like that for a while. She feared her legs would get stuck like that. Gray burst a laugh.

"I'm sorry I can't help it." He said. "If it makes you feel better you look a lot more normal doing that than Natsu does."

"Thank you, but it doesn't," Lucy said. "I don't know how Natsu does this all the time."

"I wish he'd let me. But whenever I ask he says I'm not tall big enough." Wendy frowned.

"You can help me if you want." Lucy offered. She glanced at Gray. "You can help too."

"Tempting offer, but I'll pass," Gray said. "I wanted to talk to you about Natsu." Lucy raised an eyebrow curiously. She never really talked to Gray one on one before. I glanced at Wendy. "Wendy? You mind if you help some other time?" Gray asked. Wendy nodded sadly. She crinkled her nose slightly.

"Fine. But you owe me, Lucy." Wendy said walking off leaving Gray and Lucy alone.

"We don't have much time. Natsu should be back soon." Lucy said.

"Well, I wanted to ask you if you noticed Natsu acting strangely. I've known him for a long time and he seems to be acting kinda distant sometimes." Gray said. "It nothing big, really. But I'm a little concerned. I thought you might know something, you two are always together." Lucy thought for a moment. Lucy noticed this too, but never really gave it a second thought. Sometimes he seems to be out of it a little. Lucy suspected it was because of the key. But it's only been, what, five days.

"Yeah, I've noticed too. But it's probably nothing. He hasn't told me anything about it. But it could have something to do with your guy's constant teasing." Lucy said. Gray scratched his head guilty.

"Maybe, but he knows we're kidding around," Gray said. "I do hope for Natsu's sake this egg hatches. Last time after he buried the egg, he hardly spoke to any of us. Do you think it'll hatch Lucy?" Gray said.

"Well. I think there a chance it could. Natsu seems to believe it so I'll help him." Lucy said. Gray laughed.

"I think I get how it's possible that you're the closest to Natsu now. I think you believe in him a little too much. It's probably not good for his ego." Gray said. Lucy shrugged. She was going to say something when the egg she was wrapped around began to shake. Gray and Lucy exchanged looks.

" Oh, my Earthland. It's gonna hatch!" Lucy shouted. She scrambled to her feet. Wendy heard this and ran over quickly. The three of them hovered over it.

"Guys! Come over here! It's really hatching!" Wendy said. The guild members came over curiously.

"Wow. It is really hatching. I thought it was a prank." Gajeel said. Erza wore a deep frown, but at least she was out of her daze.

"No cake then?" She said sadly.

"Where's Natsu?" Elfman asked. "He won't want to miss this." With that comment, Natsu's voice came ringing out.

"Did someone say it's hatching! Move out of the way." Natsu said running towards them. The guild cleared a spot for him. The egg wobbled and cracked a small bit. The egg rose up into the air. The guild member's heads followed it. The egg glowed and cracked into several tiny pieces. The glowing dimmed to reveal a tiny blue cat with wings.

"It's a cat?" Laxus asked dumbfounded.

"It's a cat!" Wendy screeched practically crying with pure joy. The cat shrugged to fly with its new unused wings. It drifted down to Natsu's head. The small cat's wings disappeared. The guild watched to see what it would do next.

Much to their surprise the cat raised its paw and exclaimed simply, "Aye!"

Natsu grinned wildly, "I told you it would hatch!"

"Forget that. Natsu, it talked!" Levy screeched.

* * *

 **As always have a lovely day.**

(I hope you don't mind Happy being just a kitten. I could've made Natsu meet Happy all grown up, but I thought it was cute this way.)

Edited and Refined: 02-25-18 [ish] (This was mentally jarring to fix up. Thank goodness for celestial white noise!)


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey-hey. We're back with another chapter. I planned out in more detail the first and Second Arcs of this story, so I should be able to write chapters more easily. I'm very eager to get into the exciting parts of this story. But, yeah, anyway enjoy this slower, less eventful chapter.**

* * *

The blue cat was given the name happy by the pink haired boy called Natsu. Happy quite liked the name. Something about the sound of it being called out by his new family made warm inside. And, he felt it suited him perfectly.

He also quite liked Natsu and the rest of Fairy Tail. Natsu was very funny. The cat loved watching his dramatic expressions and listening to him booming voice. He also seemed very strong. When Natsu held him, he could tell. The cat was no heavier than a piece of paper to the man.

Happy could also tell he was a very loyal person. All of Fairy Tail was. They had such a strong bond. With the way they talked and interacted with each other, it would be clear for anyone, even a naive little cat like him. Happy also discovered that Natsu was the one that took care of him. He was very grateful for Natsu because of this. He figured he was extremely lucky to have been found by a guy like him. The little cat knew they'd be best friends.

Lucy was the other person that he'd spent the most time with so far. Happy noted that Lucy and Natsu seemed to be quite close. They seemed to know something about each other that no one else knew. They had a stronger bond with each other than anyone else. But from what Happy knew, she was only with them for a couple weeks. He found it strange that they were that close. He wondered if they were married.

But anyway, Happy also liked Lucy a lot too. She was very nice and she was very good at petting. Her lap is very comfortable. Happy found her to be very kind, but she could also lose her temper easily which made her fun to tease. She certainly could be mean if she wanted to be. She was definitely weird, but she sometimes gives him fish, so that makes up for it.

The young girl called Wendy was full of affection. If she was around, he'd be cradled in her arms for hours. Happy really didn't mind it all that much, as long as she refrained from squeezing him half to death. Wendy liked to talk a lot too. But there never was really any quiet anyway because a member of Fairy Tail was always sure to break the silence. It helped Happy learn to speak better though and he himself was quite fond of talking with Fairy Tail. They were all very interesting. And people around such lively people helped him learn a lot.

He was very happy, pun intended, to be apart of it all. He was the newest member of Fairy Tail. His new family is what Natsu had said. Happy was extremely eager for the adventures to come. He knew there never would be a dull moment with Fairy Tail. There was so much to see and experience, but it wasn't overwhelming for the little cat. He just wanted to soak every moment of it in.

"Happy, I brought some fish." Natsu's familiar voice twitched Happy's ears. Another reason he loved Natsu. He caught him plenty of fish. Happy jumped up excitedly and flew over to Natsu. He'd gotten pretty good at flying. Happy was training himself to carry things so that maybe he could carry Natsu and be of use to him. However, Happy was still quite small and Natsu was pretty heavy.

"Thanks, Natsu!" Happy smiled, his canines rivaling Natsu's. Natsu sat down next to Happy who crawled onto his lap. Happy noticed something different. He tried to place it while chewing on the juicy fish. "Oi! Where's Lushi? She usually eats with us."

"She said she was gonna eat with Gray today," Natsu said with surprisingly less agitation than he usually had when mentioning the blue-haired swordsman.

"With Gray? Why?"

Natsu shrugged and took another bite of fish. With his mouth full he said, "Dunno."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Happy asked innocently. Natsu raised an eyebrow before gulping down his food.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you and Lucy are married aren't you? That's why you spent so much time with her, isn't it? I thought maybe Gray was stealing Lushi from you." The innocently ignorant cat said. Natsu flushed red but managed a hefty laugh.

"Happy! You've got it all wrong." Natsu shook his head with an embarrassed smile. "Lucy's my friend. And Gray is her friend too, so it's okay for Lucy to talk to him." Happy looked at him suspiciously.

"I wonder what they're talking about though" Happy said. Natsu crossed his arms and leaned his head back.

"Who cares?"

"You don't want to know?" Happy asked. Natsu faltered for a second. He pursed his lips together.

"I guess I do a little bit," Natsu admitted.

"Let's spy on them!" Happy exclaimed. Natsu looked pained. He knew he should refuse, but the offer was really tempting. Reluctantly he gave the kitten a nod of approval.

Happy and Natsu snuck around and found where Lucy and Gray sat together talking. They hid behind a bush staying deathly quiet. Happy made binoculars with his paws which looked rather strange. Natsu watched narrow-eyed with his ears open.

"How long have you known Natsu for?" Lucy asked. The blond had her hands awkwardly folded in her lap. Her voice was strained like it was difficult to talk to him.

"Over four years," Gray said. His voice came off as a lot more relaxed. The cool response seemed to calm Lucy a bit because she managed to take a bite of her food. "It's a good amount of time, but Erza, Laxus, Mira, and Elfman have known him even longer than that."

"I see. The others didn't notice anything though?" Lucy asked.

"Well, like I said, its just subtle differences really. It really isn't anything that I should be that concerned with, but I just have this weird feeling. Besides, even if they did, what would they do?" Gray laughed uneasily. "When Natsu faces something difficult, he usually wants to deal with it by himself. He doesn't want to worry anyone." Happy giggled and nudged the boy next to him.

"They're talking about you." He whispered. Natsu ignored him and leaned in closer.

"I take it you're the same way?" Gray nodded.

"But you are too aren't you?" Gray said. Lucy looked down at her feet. Natsu narrowed his eyes further. "I understand you've got some things you can't tell us yet, but please know that Fairy Tail will help you through whatever it is."

"Thanks, Gray. But trust me, I know that." Lucy gave a small smile. "Natsu's told me something along the same lines."

"I figured. So you didn't even tell him whatever you're hiding." Gray asked. His eyes glanced up at the blond curiously. She shook her head. Gray huffed.

"You know, Gray, I was going to leave Fairy Tail at one point. I was going to run away only a day after I officially joined." Lucy admitted twirling her hair around her finger. Gray 's eyes widened in surprise.

"Is what you're hiding that bad?" Gray asked more to himself than to her. Lucy gave a small nod. "Uh, why didn't you?"

"Why's she telling ice princess that?" Natsu said to himself. His words were riddled with agitation. His lip twitched upward in what Happy was pretty sure was jealousy. Lucy laughed and seemed to ease

"Well, Natsu caught me," Lucy said. Gray smiled and nodded.

"I see. And there's no way he would've let you leave." Lucy sighed. "That's Natsu for you."

"Well, I better get going,"

"Wait, Lucy, I have a feeling Natsu is hiding something," Gray said. "If you ever find out what that is and it's troubling Natsu, could you tell me? We may bicker a lot, but Natsu's my friend. I have a feeling he'd tell you before anyone else." Gray wore a grave frown. He was genuinely hurt saying the last statement, but he knew it was true.

"I can't promise anything, Gray. But if I do find out and it's becoming too much for Natsu, I'll tell you." Lucy said. Gray sighed.

"Alright." Gray knew there was something she wasn't telling him, but he dropped it.

"It was nice talking to you, Gray." Lucy smiled and waved goodbye. "But I don't want Natsu and the cat to miss me." Natsu and Happy left quickly and went back into camp.

Happy looked at Natsu suspiciously. "Hiding something, huh?" The little cat side glanced Natsu. He sighed.

"You'll find out soon enough, Happy. I won't try to hide anything from you, but you can't tell anyone if you find out. I'd explain it to you, but I don't feel like it." Natsu adjusted his scarf before his hand disappeared under it and gripped something on his chest.

...

Lucy couldn't wait. Laxus had said they were nearly to Magnolia. He told her that they'd be there in a day or two. It was so close yet so far away. Lucy wasn't the only one that was excited. Natsu was too. He told her that Magnolia was one of his favorite places. He said they had great spicy food, plenty of great weapon shops, and places to train. He even told her that Fairy Tail was going to buy a building there and make it their headquarters.

From what Natsu was telling her it sounded like a great place. But, though they were excited to see Magnolia, they were more excited to finally get to complete rooms as a guild. Natsu and Lucy only heard stories from their parents. It was only a matter of time before they would get to experience the real deal.

Anything could be in the rooms and they might even very well die. That didn't frighten them though. Rather, it gave them a rush of adrenaline. Lucy went from never leaving her home to traveling to multiple cities in a month and straight on her way to completing rooms.

Lucy never imagined anything like this would happen to her. It had opened up a whole new world and whole new side of herself. Happiness swelled in her heart. She was really, really happy. She couldn't help but grin wildly and spin around where she stood.

"Lushi? Are you okay?" The little blue cat asked. Lucy giggled and squeezed him to her chest.

"More than okay, Happy. I'm just excited."

"Are completing rooms really all that fun?" Happy asked. Lucy had just explained to the cat what Key Keepers even were a few days ago. The young cat still had a lot to learn.

"To be honest, I don't know for sure because I've never done it before. But my mother told me many stories and it always brought her great joy to tell them, so I'm sure it must be a wonderful adventure." Lucy beamed, her cheeks were flushed red with pleasure.

"I think you're overreacting. It sounds dangerous."

"Of course it's dangerous, Happy. That makes it more exciting." She stated.

"You don't seem like the type to go after danger. You know what I think, Lushie?" Happy asked. Lucy narrowed her eyes at the cat.

"What is that?" Lucy asked knowingly it wasn't going to be good.

"That when you actually face danger you're going to be scared out of your wits. You'd probably pee your pants like a baby." Happy declared. Lucy glared at the cat and stopped hugging him.

"You know what I think Happy?"

"What?" Happy challenged.

"That you sure have a big mouth for a kitten," Lucy said. "You should learn to respect your elders."

"Oi, Lucy you just called yourself old. Now that I get a closer look at you, you're starting to get wrinkles." Lucy touched her face protectively.

"I will make sure you don't get any fish tonight, young man!" Lucy threatened.

"I'm a cat, not a man."

"Don't make me make it two days Happy!"

"I think you should take your own advice Looney, you're a bit on the heavier side." Happy teased. Lucy lifted the little cat up with pure rage in her chocolate eyes. Surely, if she were in an anime, they'd be glowing red with fumes of black smoke pouring out of her. "Oi, Lucy put me down."

"Hey, are you being mean to Happy again?" At the sound of Natsu's voice, the little cat begins to cry dramatically.

"Natsu! Lucy said I had a big mouth, threatened to take away my fish for two days, and grabbed me so violently it almost hurt!" Happy cried. Happy flew out of Lucy's hands and into Natsu's. Lucy gripped her hands into annoyed fists and glared fiercely at the cat.

"Don't be so mean to him, Lucy. He's only a kitten. You should be more mature than to pick fights with a cat." Natsu scratched Happy's head and the cat snuggled into him.

"But, Natsu…" Lucy started. Natsu tsk and waved his fingers.

"I don't want to hear it, little lady. Or no baths for a whole week." Natsu said. Lucy deadpanned. She stood completely still like she was about to erupt any second. She wasn't too pleased with the pink haired idiot calling her immature and treating her like a little kid. Instead, she took a deep breath and huffed out most of her anger. Now she was only slightly frustrated and very annoyed.

"Natsu, you can't make me not bathe for a week, that's ridiculous. Unlike you, I don't want to smell like fire, sweat, and fish. And besides, you don't hold that kind of authority over me." Lucy said folding her arms with such smoothness you'd think she was a lawyer or politician.

"And you don't hold that authority over me, Looney!" Happy hissed while Natsu smelled himself. He made an unusual face.

"Shut it, cat," Lucy said. "What did I say about respecting your elders."

"Alright, Lucy, that's enough," Natsu said. Lucy pouted.

"Why do you always take the cat's side,"

"I like him more than I like you." He shrugged. Happy laughed.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled. "Fine then. Maybe I'll eat my meals with Gray from now on. If you like Happy so much."

"Go ahead." Natsu crossed his arms. Happy stared at Natsu. He couldn't really be okay with that could he? Natsu's eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"

"You heard me,"

"Could you guys keep it down over there!" Gajeel shouted.

"Let them be," Mira cooed. "It's young love."

"Sorry, Lucy, I'm flattered but I'm going to decline your offer. I think Natsu just might kill me." Gray called out amused. Lucy and Natsu's faces were flushed pink.

"You liiike her." Happy teased.

"Shush, Happy!" Lucy and Natsu said bitterly. "Don't be stupid," Natsu added.

"Aye, sir."

...

Mavis, Igneel, Layla, and Zeref ate dinner together. Mavis managed to get Zeref to sit around the fire with them. Mavis and Layla held up most of the conversation. Zeref bearly spoke unless asked a question directly and even then he kept it brief. He had no desire to be making friends. He just wanted some peace and quiet.

He never managed to get any between the whispers and now Mavis and her attempts to make friends. It was so overwhelming. Somehow, Mavis was able to get rid off a lot of the whispers from Aether simply by being around. But it didn't stop them completely. And whenever Mavis got more than thirty feet away, the whispers flooded his mind more than they had didn't stop the nightmares either or the drained feeling that weighed him down constantly.

He knew he wasn't always like this, but at this point, he didn't remember when that was. He didn't remember what it felt like for his mind to be free. What it was like when his chest wasn't heavy. What silence sounded like. At least, since he couldn't remember them, he couldn't miss them either.

He was thankful for Mavis. She gave him some sort of peace. But sometimes he just wanted to be rid of her. She used up a lot of his energy, and he had little of it. Zeref never really had a friend before. He didn't even know if he'd call Mavis a friend, possibly an acquaintance but that didn't sound quite right to Zeref either.

She was more of a pest he couldn't get rid off that he's grown to somewhat tolerate. He didn't know if there was a word for that kind of relationship. Mavis certainly called Zeref a friend and companion. But that was Mavis overly positive thinking and obliviousness. Surely, she'd been desperate for some company if she'd chosen to travel with Zeref.

There was something off about Mavis that he couldn't place. There was definitely more to her. Something she wasn't quite telling him. It probably had something to do with the key she's carrying around. Zeref didn't care enough to ask though. She could have her secrets as long as she didn't pry into his.

"How'd you and Mavis meet?" Layla's voice broke through Zeref's thoughts. He straightened his posture.

"Oh, uh, she followed me around the woods until I paid attention to her." Zeref said. "Then demanded to see my keys. And then all of the sudden she was traveling with me." Layla raised an eyebrow and turned to Mavis for confirmation. Mavis shrugged.

"That's basically right," Mavis admitted. The was an awkward pause in the conversation. Mavis took it upon herself to start it up again. "So, what about you two. How long have you been traveling together?"

"Well, about seven years I believe. Since I was fifteen. Igneel was seventeen at the time." Layla said. Igneel nodded. "To put how we met simply, we ran into each other in Crocus, and things kind of fell into place. I suppose it was written in the stars." Mavis smiled.

"Fate can be a powerful thing. Bringing people together, tearing them apart. Bringing fortune and misfortune. Life and death. Fate made sure to bring us together today, in the end, there's a meaning to it all, even if we don't know what that is. Fate's never wrong." Mavis raised her hand to the dark sky and she thought she could see what fate had in store for them right there in between her fingertips. It was a strange gesture, but weirdly appropriate, almost natural.

...

Layla was in awe of the town Crocus. It was truly unlike anything she'd seen. The town was bustling and there were all kinds of different people. It was definitely a change from what Layla was used to. The town near her home was a lot less busy than this and she spent most of her time in her cottage in the countryside. She'd spent the night in Crocus, but she wasn't able to see much of the town since she was tired from travel.

However, one thing she missed about her home was the view of the stars. Layla could find all the constellations and planets visible. She even able to name many of the more major stars. The night sky in Crocus wasn't quite the same but still beautiful. The sky back home gave Layla a more peaceful calming feeling to it. But Crocus's sky gave a feeling of determination and adventure.

It gave her comfort to know that under the same sky her home laid for her to come back to if she'd ever need it. For now, she wanted to see the world and experience the things she'd only dreamed about. She also wanted to make use of her Key Keeper abilities. That's what brought Layla to Crocus. It had so many opportunities. Guilds from all over came here. She had a feeling that Crocus was the place for her to be.

Layla didn't really have a plan. She just left everything to fate. At times Layla doubted whether she should keep searching for adventure and excitement or if she should just go home and try to settle for simpler things. But the more she doubted herself, the more she decided that she shouldn't give up.

She was learning and experiencing more than she could've imagined simply traveling to different places. The feeling she got when she experienced something new was unlike any other.

She was very happy overall. But her journey so far didn't come without its times when she was running low on funds, the times she was targeted by people on the street, the times when she was lost, but most of all the times she felt lonely. She had always been lonely, but at least she had her parents to talk to. Now she didn't really have anyone.

Layla was keeping her head high this morning. Her goal was to see as much of Crocus that she could and to find a guild. The first place she headed was the Guild Registry Center. She figured there would be a lot of guilds there. Maybe she could find one who was in need of her services.

The building was pretty daunting. Layla groups of people came in and out frequently. Layla took a few breaths to calm her nerves and walked up the steps. She went to everyone she could find.

"Excuse me? I was wondering if you were accepting new members? I'm a key keeper." Layla asked.

"No. Sorry we got one."

"Nah, our guild's big already."

"Maybe. What keys do you have?" One gave her some hope.

"Three silver keys," Layla replied. The person laughed at her.

"Yeah, no thanks. Good luck finding anyone with those keys. Your best bet would be to find a wannabe guild without a Key Keeper. Though there are few of those. You'd have to be stupid to have a guild before having a key keeper." The man said. Layla walked away defeated. She hadn't gotten any luck. That seemed to be something she was running out of a lot recently. She asked nearly everyone one there without any use. Layla, feeling defeated, walked back down the registry steps.

Layla sat at the end of the steps feeling hopeless. She pulled her keys out of the leather case she kept them in. Hopelessly, she stared at them. She didn't know what keys she had would be a problem. Layla couldn't afford to buy any more silver ones, especially gold ones. She hadn't the slightest idea where to start looking for some either.

She sighed and spun the key ring around her finger. She had planned to explore the town, but suddenly she wasn't in the mood. She bit her lip harshly. She couldn't let herself do this. Her real journey hadn't begun yet. She couldn't let it end. Layla decided to stop feeling discouraged. Maybe luck would come to her finally, but sitting there wouldn't help. Layla put her keys back into her case. She closed her eyes and gave a prayer to the stars. With her eyes closed and a new sense of determination, she walked forward again.

Her mental pep talk was interrupted as she rammed into someone's chest, which Layla noted was very hard and strong. She fell onto her bottom after stumbling backward. Layla opened her eyes and held her throbbing nose.

"Ow,"

"It's not a good idea to walk with your eyes closed." The boy that stood above her stated. He was lean and pretty tall like a tower. He looked around seventeen. His messy hair was to his shoulders and a deep red color. His narrow eyes were a striking amber. His jaw was pointed and his other features rather sharp. He looked down at Layla with an annoyed sterner look. Layla smiled and pulled herself up.

"Right. I was just trying to lighten my spirits."

"You couldn't do that with you eyes open?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, maybe. But closing my eyes helps me think."

"Okay then. I'll be going now." Igneel said giving Layla a strange look. Layla had almost let him be on his way, but then suddenly without meaning to, she stopped him.

"Wait." She said. "Do need a Key Keeper? Or know anyone who does? I've asked just about everyone I could around here and I was declined by all of them." Layla said. The guy looked back at her interested.

"Actually, I need one." He said. Layla brightened.

"Really!?"

"I'm a solo adventurer, though. So if you have a problem with that—" He began but Layla quickly cut in

"No, I don't mind." She insisted.

"What experience do you have?" Layla's shoulders slumped.

"Uh, none?" She said.

"How about keys? What keys do you have."

"Three silver ones," Layla said. The guy sighed.

"Well, then answer me this. Why should I pick you to be my Key Keeper when you have no experience and invaluable keys?" He asked. Layla bit her lip.

"Well, because. I can do other things. I can cook. I can sew. I can handle a dagger fairly well. I'm determined, and I won't slow you down. Give me a chance. I won't let you down." Layla said giving a sideways smile that faltered each second he didn't say anything.

"No." He stated after what felt to her like hours. Layla's heart sank.

"No!" Layla was sure he'd give in. "Please? You're my only hope." Layla begged. The boy stared at her boredly then walked off without saying another word. Layla stomped her foot and huffed. It was unlike her to lose her temper in such a way, but at this point, she didn't care. She turned the other direction and walked away from the building. It didn't seem like the stars we on her side today, but Layla would still keep trying.

Layla took in as much of Crocus as she could. She browsed the shops, explored its parks, walked its bridges, smelled the scent of food and flowers. She didn't spend any of her money. She couldn't afford that, but it was still enjoyable. The town a such a lively feeling to it.

Even with Layla feeling sorta down, she couldn't help but enjoy herself. She spent the whole day wandering the city. The sun was setting in the distance and the streets were becoming less crowded. A few shops and bakeries closed down, though a few more popular shops and restaurants stayed open.

Layla spotted a small store with dim lights coming from it. Its sign said: Zeeself's Keys and Other Things. Layla approached it and went inside. The store was filled with various weapons and other things like jewelry and armor. Directly in front of her was the checkout counter.

The counter was a large glass case that held several keys, gold, and silver. Behind it stood a girl her age. She had brown hair pulled into messy pigtails held by red ribbons. She wore a yellow cropped top and an orange skirt, brown leggings, and leather boots that Layla could see through the glass. The girl looked up.

"Welcome to Zeeself's. I'm Zera. Is there anything you're looking for in particular?" The worker called Zera asked she seemed slightly bored.

"I'm interested in looking at your keys. However, I don't think I'll be able to afford any." Layla admitted. Zera sighed.

"That's completely fine. But we're closing soon, so don't stay around too long." Zera stated.

"Right, I won't," Layla said. She approached the glass case. Most of the keys were silver and laid on a velvet cloth. The gold keys stood on a stand neatly displayed. Most of the keys had a name and price next to them. Each key looked different from the other. The top, bottom, and base of the key different shapes and designs. They ranged from 40,000 jewels to 10,000,000 jewels. Just as Layla had suspected, she could not afford a single one of these keys. She looked at them for a good amount of time, before looking at the other things in the store.

The door opened to the store. Layla turned curiously to see how had entered. Much to her surprise, it was the boy from before. He hadn't seen Layla yet. Layla turned the other way in hopes he wouldn't notice her.

"We're closing in five minutes. So wrap it up in here." Zera said to the two of us. The guy was on the other side of the store looking at swords. Layla was admiring some gemmed necklaces. Layla made sure to face away from the man and walked quickly to the door. As she opened the door, Zera gave an unenthused goodbye and the boy from before looked back.

Their eyes met for a second. Layla quickly turned away and walked out the door. When she was safely outside, she sighed. She began to walk away from the store when the boy cleared his throat behind her.

Layla turned her head slightly.

"You still need a partner?" He asked. Layla's face brightened.

"You mean you change your mind?" Layla asked. "Why?"

"Well, no one else was willing to team up with a novice solo adventurer who's never completed a room before." He said. "Except you that is. I figured having a newbie key keeper was better than having none."

"Looks like we ran into the same problem," Layla said. "I'm Layla Heartfilia."

"I'm Igneel." The boy said. Layla approached him and offered her hand. He took it reluctantly.

"I just now we'll make a great team." Layla grinned. Igneel's grip tightened on Layla's hand just barely. Igneel gave a crooked smirk of his own.

* * *

( **Future** **Editing Ella:** These are questions from a reviewer that I decided to keep in case they might be helpful. I'll have an explanation of how I'm doing reviews at the present in chapter 18)

How do you know what room the key will open?

Typically, the key will look like the door of the room. For example, if the key had a snowflake on it, the door to the room would too. But in the information of each key in the book, mentioned in the story, a photo of the door would probably be provided. The name of the key will also be on the door. But that's only helpful if you know the key's name which you'd get from the book as well.

How do you know which tower the room is in?

To know which tower a key's room if, you'd have to look it up in the book that the Council keeps or consult a Key expert, such as Mavis, who memorizes that information. (In Mavis's case automatically knows it). There are also some keys, like Aether, that actually lead you to its tower.

Does somebody explore a tower and report to the council on what room the tower has?

I haven't really thought of this question before you asked it, but I assume that is something they could do. They really don't need to. Any information would be in the book mentioned before. Of course, if the extremely-convenient-magical-book-that-allows-me-to-easily-answer-questions-like-this didn't exist they would have several researchers getting all the information they could about the keys and their towers.

 **If you have any questions like the ones above feel free to ask by leaving a review. Let's see if you can find any of my plot holes I have quite a few. ;)**

 **Hope you enjoyed and have a lovely day everyone!**

if you like zera, don't worry there will be more of her and the other characters from fairy tail zero

Edited and Refined: 03-30-18 [ish]


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello! I'm doing review up here today because I have some Author's notes I want to say that would be better after this.**

 **fandomania2000-** Aw, thanks so much! I tried my best to make this something unlike what other people were creating and I'm glad it seems I'm succeeding. Compared to my first fanfic (which I deleted), this one allows me to play around with a lot of different back stories and settings and scenes. It makes me really happy when I create a new chapter. :D

 **Thatyetjade-** Magi, right? It's on Netflix. I took a little inspiration as far as the towers go. I tried to make sure it wasn't a carbon copy though. Thanks! :)

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

was early in the morning. The guild had just woken up and gathered around a fire to discuss what was to come. If everything went according to plan, Fairy Tail would arrive in Magnolia as the sun was setting. They'd spent the night in a hotel in Magnolia. They spent the whole next day relaxing from their journey and were preparing for the one to come. The next day, they woke up at sunrise and headed off into East forest to look for Argentum tower. The search wouldn't take very long though. Laxus had said he should be able to easily get its specific location from locals in Magnolia. Towers were large and not particularly hard to find if is was so near to a town. Gray, Mira, Elfman, Laxus, and Gajeel were the only ones that had been inside a tower before, let alone completed a room. Naturally, the others had a lot of questions. Lucy, particularly eager for some answers, asked the biggest question on their minds.

"What's it like in a tower?" Lucy asked. The older guild member gave an excited expressions. It was clear by the looks on their faces they had missed the excitement and danger.

"It's terrifying," Mira said. "But terribly exciting."

"The adrenaline that goes through you when you're in there is really amazing. It brings out a stronger side of yourself." Elfman added.

"I've seen some of the prettiest things and the most horrible things in them," Laxus said. "But both are just as unforgettable." They were vague, but that was expected. All rooms were different. You can only guess what you'll encounter specifically. But the overall feel was typically the same. Excitement, fear, adrenaline, exhilaration, desperation, determination etc.

"I think it makes a difference who you experience it with. I dreaded it in Phantom Lord. Knowing that I was expendable and being used." Gajeel said. Gray nodded in agreement.

"As for me, I was alone most of the time. I made it a lot less exciting and a lot more difficult." Gray said.

"You didn't have a Key Keeper?" Levy asked.

"I did, however, they never entered a room with me. They only wanted money and they weren't risking their life for it. We only had a business relationship. We didn't get along well." Gray said. Lucy thought about this. She never once considered letting the others do the work for her; valuing her life over the other's and still expecting to get a share of the reward the other person got from putting their lives in danger. Lucy knew that she couldn't live with herself if she thought something like that was okay. That Key Keeper considered it business, and nothing more than that. Lucy considered it an experience, something fun and exhilarating, that would bring herself closer to her guild mates.

"I didn't even think about that being a possibility," Lucy said.

"Do you like that idea Lucy?" Erza asked suspiciously. Lucy laughed.

"No, not at all," Lucy said. "That would take the fun out of it." Lucy was slightly hurt Erza would have to ask her that. Erza grinned and nodded.

"I thought you'd say that," Erza said. "I just needed to make triple sure you were really the kind of Key Keeper that Fairy Tail always dreamed of having." Lucy blushed at the compliment. Natsu broke out into a toothy grin.

"I have a feeling this adventure will be one of the best things any of us will have experienced. You now why?" Natsu asked.

"Why?" Wendy asked in return.

"Because we're doing it together. Or first real adventure as a guild." Natsu said.

"That's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard," Cana stated.

"Maybe so, but it's true." Levy said. Lucy thought so to. No matter how cheesy and obnoxiously touching it may have sounded, it was truer than true. Lucy couldn't imagine going on this journey without any one of them. They were irreplaceable. She really did cherish their friendship even if she hadn't known them for too long. You can get through anything if you have people you care about there to support you. To lift you up and pull you through. Lucy gave an unconscious smile before her mind wandered elsewhere.

"I just hope we're prepared," Lucy said.

"Of course we're prepared, Luce. We've trained a ton and all that walking has got to be good for us." Natsu assured her.

"I'm scared. This all sounds like a lot." Happy, who was quite up till now, said worriedly. Natsu patted the young cats head.

"Oi, don't worry, Happy," Natsu said. "We'll protect you. It won't be scary since we're all in it together."

"Aye, sir." That seemed to lighten Happy's spirits.

"How long are you in a room anyway?" Levy asked.

"It depends really. Usually, silver rooms don't take any longer that a few days. If you're really skilled in can take only a couple hours." Laxus said.

"What do we for food. What if I run out of alcohol?" Cana asked.

"Well, we bring food and water with us initially. A lot of the times there are edible things within the room." Mira said.

"However, I've never encountered a room with alcohol in it," Elfman said. "That's your problem." Cana shot Elfman a glare.

"I can make it your problem when I run out of alcohol and am angry and start shouting and pounding your head in." Cana hissed.

"Alright. That's enough." Laxus stated. "We don't need to waste time listening to your senseless arguing."

"Look at Laxus actually acting like the leader he's supposed to be," Natsu stated. Laxus scowled at Natsu.

"Wait, Laxus is the guild master? I thought it was Erza." Happy said. The others snickered. Erza got a cocky smirk.

"I might as well be. Laxus does nothing a leader should do. I do all the work." Erza said. Mira cleared her throat.

"Oh really? Who's the one that cooks all the meals and cleans up after everyone without hardly ever get a thank you with the exception of Lucy, Wendy, and Levy." Mira said. "Not to mention I can hold my own in combat."

"I make the fire! That's clearly the most helpful and important job. I should be the new leader." Natsu said.

"Anyone can do that Flame Brain. I should be the leader." Gray said.

"And what exactly do you do that makes you think you should be the leader?" Gajeel scoffed.

"I do a lot of things…" Gray stated. He didn't say what those things were though and instead hit the said question back at Gajeel. "What do you do?" Gajeel narrowed his eyes.

"I don't need to prove anything to you. True leaders don't need to prove anything to anyone." Gajeel declared.

"I'm the manliest. I should be the new leader." Elfman said. "Real men are leaders and I'm the most real real man." Cana rolled her eyes at him, still aggravated by his comment from before, and noticing his stupid logic.

"We're not nominating a new leader! I'm the leader. I'm the most experienced, the oldest, the one that started the guild, the one that gave the guild its name, the one that handles the finances, the one that signs into the hotels, buys supplies, signs the official papers. Need I go on?" Laxus shouted. The guild went quiet. Levy, apparently feeling particularly daring that morning, spoke up.

"Actually, Laxus, I manage the finances. Its ones of the reasons you let me join." Levy stated. "And Wendy wants me to tell everyone that she keeps everyone alive. She was afraid to interject. She isn't fond of being shouted at." Levy said. Wendy looked down at her feet; her hands pressed in her lap. Lucy felt the need to speak up to, now that she had the chance.

"In my opinion, you all hold some importance in Fairy Tail. I'm sure it wouldn't be that same without any one of you. You all contribute something that matters over everything else, your friendship and along with it your support and your trust." Lucy stated. "However, I do think Laxus is a practical choice for a guild leader. He knows better than any of us what it means to be in a guild, having been in his grandfather's. Not to mention, when he yelled at all of you just then, you all went quite. It's clear we all hold a certain respect for Laxus, whether that be of his age, his strength, or whatever else. Another important thing about Laxus is that he doesn't do everything himself. It's all of our jobs to hold our own in Fairy Tail. Laxus is their to guide us, to answer our questions, to manage. He has Fairy Tail's best interest at heart." Lucy said.

"Lushie should be the leader!" Happy exclaimed. Levy put her hand to her chin. Laxus rubbed his fore hed in frustration. The others nodded in agreement with Happy.

"I see. Lucy is clever. In order to become the leader, she made it seem like she didn't want to be the leader and instead said why Laxus was a good leader. It doing so she demonstrated a understanding of Fairy Tail and its members. Acknowledging everyone's contributions to the guild, except her own. This showed she put the others before herself and gave the idea she didn't consider herself a leader but a made of a whole. ." Levy stated. Lucy shook her head and waved her arms frantically.

"No, no, no. You've got it all wrong. I just wanted to stop all the arguing and help Laxus out. I'm not at all qualified for a job like that. I'd break under the pressure, I assure you." Lucy explained blushing.

"Oh." Levy laughed. "You're just too good of a person."

"Now that I think about it, Lucy would be a terrible leader," Gray said. The others nodded.

"She's way too nice. A leader needs to be strict. Lucy is about as strict as a baby bunny." Erza stated.

"Not to mention she's all over the place. A leader should be organized." Mira said.

"Plus she isn't assertive at all," Gajeel noted.

"You can make her do anything for you. She's too nice to say no." Cana added.

"Well, I don't know if all that's completely true," Natsu said. "She makes fun of me and Happy all the time. She yells at us a lot to. And when I ask her to do something for me, she usually says no." Natsu said. Happy nodded in agreement. The others gave each other a knowing look. Lucy, Happy, and Natsu were out of the loop.

"Well, you and Lucy are...close," Mira said.

"She's close with everyone though." Happy stated.

"She's particularly close with Natsu," Gray stated. Lucy made herself smaller out of embarrassment. It didn't seem to faze Natsu.

"So you're saying I'm Lucy's favorite?" Natsu asked. Mira opened her mouth, it seemed to be an objection, but Lucy interrupted before she could say anything. Her face was bright red.

"Yes, Natsu. You and Happy are like brothers to me. That's why I pick on you more. Besides, you both pick on me. It's only fair I return the favor." Lucy explained. Her blush faded as the words came out. The others snickered like they knew something.

"Well, we've wasted a lot of time with that pointless conversation," Laxus said. "We don't have time for breakfast now. Pack up our things and we'll start the last trek to Magnolia Town." The others stopped with the snickered and chattering and nodded. They stood up all left to where they slept.

They changed and freshened up before gathering their things. Gray poured water over the fire before Natsu could bicker with him about leaving it lit. Everyone carried something with them and stood together while Laxus did a head count. This was practically routine by now, but even with doing it so often, they had forgotten to make sure everyone was together and the ended up leaving Wendy behind on accident. Luckily, Levy and Lucy noticed know more that five minutes after they left the camp. When they went back to camp they found Wendy sitting in the grass surrounded by her things teary eyed. They made extra sure that everyone was together after that.

That trek went by quickly. Whether it was because the walked quicker than they usually did out of excitement or because it simply felt that way because of it. The guild definitely chatted a great deal about what they thought was to come. They theorized what things they'd encounter and went on about how they were going kill more things than the other. Lucy talked with Levy, Cana, and Wendy for the majority of the walk. This was the case with most of the walks since Natsu complained often that Lucy was walking to slow.

Like Laxus had said, they arrived in Magnolia at sunset. They walked the stone road leading to Magnolia until the city was in view. Lucy's heart was beating fast. She couldn't help but grin. The rest of the guild was having similar feelings. Natsu was at Lucy's side once again. He beamed next to her.

"It's amazing isn't it?" Natsu asked. Lucy nodded, unable to wipe the smile from her face.

"I can see why you like it." Lucy said. She couldn't quite explain it, but something about Magnolia made her feel like she belonged their. The town was just as impressive as Crocus, that she could tell before even entering the town completely. The group walked forward. As their shoes passed the marble entrance and they were officially in Magnolia Town, a homely feeling washed over them. _This is were fate has brought us and it couldn't have been a more perfect choice._

The guild walked the cobbled streets together. The sky was dim and the streetlights were the main source of illumination. Even so, people still walked the streets and chatted at the outdoor restaurants and shops. Smaller fairy lights of different colors and shapes brightened the awnings of the buildings. The houses were made of a smooth hard white material and wooden panels for support. The roofs were topped with many different colors of painted wood shingles. The houses were several shapes and sizes, from cylindrical shapes to rectangular to both in one. Most of the buildings had several windows. A river ran through the town. The different sections were connected by rounded stone bridges.

The guild only saw a small portion of the town before they arrived at a hotel that they planned to stay at. The guild followed behind Laxus and into the hotel. The lady behind the counter grinned with joy.

"Fairy Tail's come to visit again!" She had an accent that Lucy couldn't place. Her hair was a peppermint green color on over it she wore a red hat. It seemed like a strange attire for a hotel worker. Another woman came out of the office behind the counter. She smiled at the side of them.

"Bisca, Laki. Nice to see you!" Mira greeted for all of them.

"I'm so happy to see you all came to visit again. With a few new faces may add." Bisca said.

"Does that mean you finally found a key keeper?" Laki asked excitedly. The guild nodded happily.

"This is Lucy!" Natsu pushed her forward. Lucy bowed. Happy pushed through them and stood in the front. He few up to get the people's attention.

"And I'm Happy!" The little cat exclaimed. Bisca and Laki looked taken aback.

"Let me guess, you're Natsu's new pet?" Bisca asked.

"Natsu's friend. I'm not a pet." Happy corrected. Natsu nodded.

"I should get the others. They'd be happy to see you all." Laki said walked down the hall.

"Have ya'll ate?" Bisca asked. They shook their heads. "Well, I can fix that. Follow me."

Bisca led them to a large room with multiple tables. They all sat down at them. Lucy, Happy, Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Wendy sat at a table together. Cana, Mira, Levy, Gajeel, Laxus, and Elfman sat at another right next to them. Bisca left them. The guild chatted amongst each other and across their tables. Bisca came back a few minutes later with Laki and a group of people of her own. Lucy discovered there names were Alzack and Asuka, Bisca's husband and daughter. Macao and Makaba who were the owners of the hotel. Macao's son Romeo, as well as other hotel workers: Jet, Droy, Reedux, Max, Vijeeter, Nab, and Warren.

Lucy and the others talked with them for a few hours, while they brought food to them. They celebrated the guild finally being official and for their first adventure together. After a while, the guild tired and the food ran out. They all helped clean up the mess before heading to their rooms. They all fell asleep easily. Lucy was surprised Fairy Tail had made so many friends in Magnolia. They were all very entertaining to talk to. How lucky Lucy had felt meeting so many more new friends.

* * *

Young Lucy sat messily on the library floor. She was terribly bored. Father never let Lucy leave the the property or go outside alone during the day, and at night she was forbidden to go outside at all. This irked Lucy so very much. He favorite thing was to lay out in the grass at stare up at the starry sky, but now the only view she got of the night sky was from her small bedroom window.

It had been this way ever since her mother had died. And even when she was, Lucy hardly left the Heartfilia estate. She never got a real explanation for this, but then again she was quite young. Even if she was given a good explanation it wouldn't be enough for her. How could her mother had told her so many amazing stories yet not allow her to make any of her own. She was cooped up in the house. Sure the house was large, but it could start to feel small if you spend long days inside of it. The only sense of freedom Lucy could get was in the library. She had to spend time in their for her studies, but there were other books as well. The stories weren't the same as the ones her mother told, but they sufficed. It was enough to get Lucy's mind somewhere else. Somewhere far away from the Estate.

The library was her main source of entertainment, but not the only thing. Since she hadn't any friends, she make some up. She had created a friend for each of the zodiac symbols. Her mother used to tell her about them often. She talked to them, or rather herself, for hours. She ran around the house with them and created many games. Lucy had a great imagination. She had to. Without those long hours of make believe, Lucy surely would've gone insane inside the house.

Lucy became rather fond of stories and coming up with new ones. As she got about twelve and grew out of the imaginary friends, she transferred her imagination into writing. She wrote several stories to occupy the time. Stories about Dragons, Wizards, Princes, Princesses, and unfathomable worlds.

When Lucy was fifteen she got her long awaited explanation from her father. It was her birthday. Her father requested to see her. He didn't often do this. Lucy didn't speak to her father much. He was always busy with work. Lucy gladly obliged to the request. She would jump at the chance to speak with her father. He was distant, but Lucy did love him. Though their talks were short and somewhat awkward, she cherished the small moments.

"Yes, father." Lucy said as she presented herself in front of her father who sat in his large office. Lucy noticed a distraught look in her father's eyes that was unlike the distraught look he usually had. Her father was silent for a moment. Lucy could see he was calculating what words he should say.

"Lucy…" He began slowly. The words came out with pauses, leaving small moments of anticipation for Lucy. "You're mother told you stories when she was with us didn't she?" He asked. Lucy wasn't sure where this was heading.

"Well, yes, all the time," Lucy said. He father breathed in a large breath, but Lucy didn't see any air come back out.

"What kind of things did she tell you about?" Her father asked Lucy thought for a moment.

"About adventurers and Key Keepers, mostly. But there were dragons, Fairies, princesses and similar things in some of them too." Lucy said. Her father nodded.

"So you're mother told you what a Key Keeper was?" He asked. Lucy nodded.

"Where are you going with this, father." Lucy said impatiently. Her father sighed. Her motioned for her to come closer. Lucy obliged. She stood directly in front of her father now. Her father pulled something from his desk and placed it on the table. It was a leather pouch attached to a belt. Lucy looked at her father. He motioned for her to take it. Lucy did eagerly. She opened the pouch and pulled out a ring of keys. There were twelve gold ones and five silver. Lucy stared at them for a long time.

"What are these," Lucy asked, but she was certain she already knew the answer.

"They're tower keys." Her father said. "They were your mother's."

"So then she was a Key Keeper?" Lucy asked. The keys seemed to feel heavier in her hand, but she didn't let go of them.

"Yes. And so are you." Jude told her her. Lucy hadn't meant to cry, but she did. He father let her stay like that for several minutes until Lucy was finally able to collect herself. Lucy wiped her eyes.

"There are so many gold ones, though. Aren't they rare and extremely valuable." Lucy asked, the question popping into her mind as she looked down at the keys once again.

"Yes. They are." He father said. "Along her journey's your mother collected these keys. Along the way people, bad people, found out she was in possession of them. Having so many gold keys, especially at one times is a tremendous feat. That is why your mother and I have kept you in the house. We've done well keeping ourselves hidden. But I fear someday that won't be the case anymore. One day those people will find us. Its up to you Lucy to keep these keys from them." Lucy looking up at her father with a tearful expression.

"Yes, father. I will." She assured. She kept the keys with her always. She would protect them like she promised.

* * *

 **Howdy, this chapter was another filler, sorry! In the next chapter or so we'll get into the exciting stuff.**

 **I hope you don't mind the kinda theatrical cheesy scenes between the guilds like when they fight or go off about friendship. I just wanted to incorporate the rowdiness of the guild and how the often tease each other. Sorry if it came across as cliched over anything. I just wanted to address it cause I kinda get that cheesy cliche vibe when I read some scenes back.**

 **Oh, and I tried to include the Fairy Tail members that got lost in the dust. If you didn't find a member in it, it's probably because the come up later with a more important role. They all conveniently run a hotel together.**

 **Lastly, I don't know if you guys would want this, but you know how anime has OVA's, well I was thinking about having something like that for this. I'm probably now going to post it as a whole nother story though. I'd just include them throughout the story and when it's finished. I'm for sure doing an Edolas one, which I might as well just make into a whole nother arc in the story since it's so complicated. Then I'm also thinking about holiday ones and some stupid ones like _Plue's Pov, The Day in the Life of a Spirit Key, and The Misadventures of Dragon Natsu._** **They won't do anything for the plot, but they'll be fun to write and maybe fun to read.**

 **I hope to get the next chapter out soon.**

*feedback appreciated*

 **Have a lovely day!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi, again. Here's another chapter for ya.**

 **Hope you enjoy, as always.**

* * *

The next day went by quickly. It seemed like everything was moving in fast forward. They kept busy all day and their excitement only fueled the fire. The first half of the day was spent training. Lucy trained with Levy and Wendy with Erza and Mira as their instructors. The guys and Cana trained along side them, but they mostly had a series of fights amongst each other, while the girls had a more organized session. Cana said she had no desire to be bossed around by Erza and Mira. She also stated that she already knew everything they had to say. Erza and Mira made us all to warm ups first which included a light jog, some stretches, simple exercises like push ups, and a few simple arm combat and weapon combat techniques. Erza and Mira then went through how to combine your weapon techniques with physical combat.

"You want to be creative with it. Once you know the basics of your weapon, you can manipulate the moves and techniques to create your own personal style. Think of it like dancing. You move to flow along with the music. Let your body move to the song of your weapon. Do what fits, but also something unexpected. The way you fight usually is a look into who you are." Mira said.

"For instance look at the way Laxus and Natsu are fighting," Erza said.

The three of us looked at him. Laxus swung around his staff with immense grace. Laxus ducked and twisted his body around the blades of his attacker and in favor of his own. Lucy noted that not only was he using his staff, but he also used his legs and arms. When blocking a sword with his staff, he twisted his body over it while kicking the pursuer; his arms, where the staff blocked the blade, was below his stomach which twisted above, while his legs swung through the air, making contact with the attacker, which was Natsu, and then landing on the ground. It only took a moment for Natsu to recover and he swung his sword behind him without looking to see where Laxus was but swinging in the correct location anyway. As Natsu swung he twisted his body to face Laxus, who, as the sword flung for him, jumped up and avoided it.

Natsu's next series of swings we very fast and demanding. Lucy could hardly keep track of them. Natsu slashed at Laxus several times while laxus blocked them and returned a swing of his own. The frantic swings ended as the two weapons were pushing against each other. Natsu, aware that he didn't have as much strength as Laxus, unlocked his blade while simultaneously leaping into the air. Natsu's foot bounced off of Laxus' staff, giving him a further boost. Natsu landed several feet away from laxus. In the moment he landed, Natsu charged forward, his sword and the ready. He came at Laxus at full speed swinging his sword to the left. At the same time, Laxus turned. and blocked the attack with his staff. Laxus's body slouched down. One leg was bent, as his other leg swung across Natsu's. Natsu was knocked off his feet, but recovered by going into a flip in the air and landing on his feet. As soon as Natsu landed, Laxus came at him with a series of lightning fast jabs with the butt end of his staff. Natsu managed to evade most of them, but as Natsu grew slower with his attacks, Laxus grew faster. The end of Laxus' staff jabbed Natsu square in the stomach with a great about of force, sending Natsu to fly backward onto his butt.

He coughed a small amount of blood. He clenched his stomach and breathed heavily. He gave a toothy grin. His blood was still present on his chin. Laxus was out of breath as well and wore a pleased look on his face. Lucy was entranced by the scene she had watched. Their movements were so loose, so graceful, so natural. She had never seen any of the members in combat such as that. Lucy had seen Natsu and Gray kill the Cave Serpent, but the fight between man and beast and man and man was completely different. Lucy could see their brains working.

"See. Their battle was carried by their skill with of their weapon, but it was supported by their physical combat, agility, strength, and acrobatics. They combined the basics with their own play on things." Mira said. Our attention was turned back onto them.

"We can't really teach you this because it has to come from you. But watching others fight and learning as many basic skills from all kinds of fighting styles, even fighting styles for a weapon you aren't skilled in, will help a lot. As well as learning some acrobatic skills and building up your stamina." Erza said. They nodded.

"While your movements are important. Knowing the others persons is even more important. You need to be able to anticipate your opponent's movements. To do this you need to pay close attention to the way they are fighting. How they are moving, how fast the move, what techniques they use most often, if their left or right handed, any injuries they have, anything like that. Of course with that in mind, you also need to be aware that the other person is observing you in the same way. Which is why you need to be as unpredictable as possible. In order to be unpredictable, you need to know enough skills that you don't have a pattern in the way you're fighting. Make everything your strongest point so that nothing is your weakest. Combat is as much a mind game as a test of skill." Mira added.

"However, a lot of what we'll be faced with is not human, but rather a creature. Don't ever assume an animal isn't as intelligent as you. You want to treat it as though it has a human's mind and is learning your movements the way a human opponent would. Just like that creature was human, you want to analyze it. Learn its weak and strong points. Pay attention to its anatomy and behavior. Use its body to your advantage. Take into account its physical features and work with or around them." Erza said.

"If you're outnumbered without assistance or the seems too powerful for you to take on alone, you must be creative. You have to think on your feet. Your brain is your weapon and your skills just there to carry out what your brain says. There is almost always a way out of anything. Don't give up till the very end. Don't ever surrender." Mira added.

The training carried on with Mira and Erza teaching them different kicks and arm attacks, as well as attempting to do some flips and other acrobatic techniques. Lucy managed a pretty nice Bituro Chagi. Which is an unpredictable kick that makes contact with an opponent on the opposite side of the body that they expect. She also became good and Dwi Huryeo Chagi (spinning hook kick) and a bolley kick. She was able to almost do a front flip as well, but she could never land it. She learned several other arm attacks and punches. She messed around with her whip. She was pretty much getting the hang of the thing.

In the afternoon, the guild could the supplies they need for the next day. This included several flasks filled with water, dry foods that wouldn't spoil quickly, medicines for Wendy, Weapon touch ups, a dagger for Lucy as a backup weapon, an assortment pieces of armor, and a new pair of clothing that was made for combat. The Magnolia hotel owners let Fairy Tail keep the extra supplies that they couldn't bring with them in the storage room for the time they were gone.

Lucy was sure Laxus had spent just about every penny they had left. She had a hard time that they could afford all of that. But Levy had told her later that Laxus had gotten a loan from the Guild Headquarters back in Crocus. Apparently, that was another service it provided, which, now that Lucy thought about it, made sense since they also kept treasures secured in accounts.

After dinner with the kind hotel staff, Fairy Tail went off to their rooms for an early night. They wanted to be well rested for the tomorrow. Lucy fell asleep quickly with the thought that the faster she did the sooner tomorrow would come.

 _The room was dark at first. And quiet. The heavy air was cold against her. She wasn't bound by anything that she could see, yet she couldn't move at all. She didn't seem to have anything feeling at all. She couldn't tell if she was sitting or standing or if she was even really there at all. Maybe she was only there consciously. Yet, if that was true, how could she feel the air around her and sense the maliciousness that lingered all around her. Suddenly she could see a single light. It was an orb. It wasn't fire, yet it wasn't a light bulb, or the sun either. It seemed to admit from nowhere at all. It did nothing to illuminate the area. Slowly several more of these lights appearing, forming a circle of six around her._

" _Lucy…" A whisper called out to her. "You'll free me, won't you? You'll let me free and then the world will be within the two of you. Together you will carry the would. All you have to do if unleash me and let him fall into me. Free me, Lucy. If you don't I will reach you. You both will suffer until you're nothing but a dark nothingness apart of me. You don't want to end up like him…" Lucy wanted to speak but couldn't. She was afraid. She was sure she was trembling. Slowly the lights around her faded out._

 _The scene changed to something more peaceful. Lucy could move. The air was light and warm. Around here she was in an endless garden that reminded her of the one she had back home. The flowers were abundant and colorful. The sky above was infinite blue. Lucy spotted a figure ahead. She recognized it immediately. It was her mother. Lucy dashed towards her, her arms extended out. When she reached her mother her arms draped around the soft skinned woman wearing a white flowy dress. Her mother wrapped her arms around her and rested her head on top of hers. Lucy felt so warm. So safe. The dream she had had before melted away from her._

" _Lucy. I'm so glad you're happy. I'm so glad you've found a home. You're living in the stories you loved so. Be brave, my Lucy. Remember I'm watching over you. Just look up to the sky and rest assured I'm looking back at you." Layla said._

 _Lucy knew her mother was protecting her from whatever it was that came before. Lucy was grateful. She wasn't afraid anymore. The world around her faded into white._

" _Lucy…"_

"Lucy…" The sound of her name woke her up. Cana stood above her. "Wakey, wakey. It's a big day, my friend." Lucy sat up and rubbed her eyes. She smiled brightly.

"I'm so excited," Lucy exclaimed. Cana laughed.

"I think we all are." Cana agreed. "Hurry and get dressed." Cana walked off. Lucy got out of her bed. She stretched a bit before walking into the bathroom. Wendy, Cana. and Levy was standing in front of the long mirrors. Wendy brushed her teeth, Levy dried her hair with a towel, and Cana brushed her hair. Lucy joined them. She splashed her face with water and dried it with a towel. Lucy took a shower last night before bed so she didn't have to in the morning. She brushed out her hair with the brush Cana had just finished using. She pulled her blond hair up into a ponytail held by a black ribbon. She brushed her teeth and sprayed a small bit of perfume on. Finished in the restroom, she stepped out and changed. She wore a simple black skirt, along with her belt, keys, dagger, and whip, brown leather boots with long white socks, a navy blue cropped sleeveless shirt, the Star earrings Natsu got her, and on one arm she wore a shoulder guard, an arm cover, and a glove. She swung her backpack on her back and her flask around her shoulder. She waited for the others to be done. Together they walked out of the room leaving nothing behind.

The four of them met with the others in the hotel's lobby. Laxus did a headcount and everyone made sure they weren't forgetting anything important. With everyone accounted for; the guild said their goodbyes to the hotel staff. They walked out of the hotel's large wooden doors following Laxus's lead. If anyone that witnessed it, it was surely a site. The eccentric group stood tall and all wore eager expressions. Like nothing could stand in their way. With that ambition and pride, they walked toward East Forest.

The group was completely surrounded by trees and the town behind them. It felt just like their long journey from Crocus to Magnolia. Lucy was resentful that they had to do more walking. It got boring pretty quickly, not to mention her legs got tired. Lucy caught up to Laxus who was leading the group in front. Laxus took long quick strides forward so it was hard for Lucy to keep up with his pace.

"So where exactly is the tower?" Lucy asked. Laxus looked down at Lucy like he just noticed she was there.

"Well, Makaba and the others told me it was North East of the hotel several miles. He said if we walked in that direction we'd find it eventually." Laxus said.

"How come you didn't know about the tower before if it's so close to Magnolia?" Lucy asked.

"I'm sure it came up in some conversations, but none of us found it important. It's possible that we simply haven't heard of it. We come to Magnolia more than other places, but we are never here for very long. And we've never traveled in East forest all that much. We mostly enter Magnolia from the Western Forest. So we've never come across it. Plus, when we are in Magnolia, we hardly have work on our minds. Mostly play." Laxus said.

"I see. Have you ever seen a tower during your travels?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, only two. They were towers for silver keys. They weren't as tall as I imagined." Laxus said.

"I've only ever seen drawings," Lucy said. "They all look different from each other don't they?" Laxus nodded.

"Yes. Much like the Keys." Laxus said.

"I wonder if anyone's ever seen a Tower appear." Lucy wondered.

"No one I've talked to," Laxus stated. "You ask a lot of questions."

"You can't blame me for being curious," Lucy stated. "Plus, I wanted to make sure you knew where exactly we were going. It would suck if we got lost and didn't even find the tower." Laxus's response was interrupted. Natsu came up from behind and put each of his hands on one of our shoulders.

"Whatcha talking about?" Natsu asked.

"Lucy was asking a lot of dumb questions." Laxus sighed.

"They weren't dumb," Lucy said. "Whatever, I'll leave you alone now. You told what I wanted to know for the most part." Lucy said. She slowed down her pace and quickly fell behind Laxus and a few others. Natsu walked alongside her. Natsu tried his best to stay at Lucy slower pace.

"This is going to great, Lucy. I can feel it." Natsu said. Lucy nodded. "What do you think we'll see in there?"

Lucy thought about this. She had thought up some possibilities many of times on the long walks to Magnolia. She picked out some of the many speculations to share with Natsu.

"Giant ogres, evil fairies, flying monkeys, giant fire breathing dragons…" Lucy listed.

"Fire breathing dragons!" Natsu exclaimed. "I hope so. How cool would that be, Luce."

"I don't know if I'd call that cool, Natsu. It sounds scary. Though, you're not afraid of anything, are you?" Lucy stated. Natsu shook his head.

"Sure, I am. I'm afraid of trains, boats, and any thing that has wheels or motors." Natsu said. Lucy giggled. "What?" Natsu asked defensively.

"I just find it ironic that you're afraid of just unscary things," Lucy said. "Though, I suppose I'd be afraid of that stuff to if it made me sick."

"It feels like my organs are having a fist fight," Natsu said grimly. His analogy made Lucy think of his fight the other day with Laxus.

"You can fight really well by the way. I saw you and Laxus fighting yesterday. I forget to tell you." Lucy complimented. Natsu grinned.

"Yeah, well, I've had a lot of training," Natsu said. "Even so, I can't beat Laxus. He's pretty ruthless."

"You've never beaten him?" Lucy asked. Natsu shook his head.

"Nope. Lost every single fight with him. But I'll beat him eventually." Natsu assured.

"I have no doubt about that," Lucy said.

"I saw you're getting pretty good with that whip of yours, Luce," Natsu stated. "You'll whip a lot of guys asses with that thing." Lucy blushed.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd re word that." Lucy gave an awkward smile. Natsu snickered.

"You know I didn't mean it that way." Natsu shook his head with a smile.

"Moving on," Lucy said. You could hear a laugh in voice. "Where's Happy, by the way? He usually always by your side."

"Wendy has him occupied," Natsu said. He pointed behind them. Lucy turned back and far behind them Wendy was squeezing and petting the small cat. The sight made Lucy laugh.

"She certainly does," Lucy said. Natsu sighed and put his hands behind his head. He looked up to the sky.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked. Natsu gave a weak smile.

"I'm just thinking." He said. He sounded a bit sad.

"About what?" Lucy asked. Natsu's shoulders slumped.

"My father," Natsu said. "In all the excitement that last few weeks, I seem to have forgotten I'm supposed to be searching for him.I've forgotten he was even missing." Lucy smiled knowingly.

"I know the feeling. You're mad at yourself for forgetting something so important." Lucy said.

"Yes, I feel a little selfish I guess. It shouldn't be so easy to forget about something like that. But being with Fairy Tail, it seems like it happens a lot. And I guess I feel guilty. I should be doing more to find him. But frankly, i don't know where to look." Natsu said.

"It's those moments of silence when those sort of things gets remembered again." Lucy looked down at her feet. "I miss my father too. I never got to say goodbye."

"That's something we have in common then," Natsu said solemnly. His voice became sadder. "I don't know for certain that he's dead, but there's this feeling when I think about him that I'll never get to see him again. And you know I've been having dreams, no nightmares, recently. And in the silence, like at night when the world is still and quiet, I can hear the whispers." Natsu explained. "I never used to doubt that my father was alive somewhere, but it's gotten harder to feel that way."

"It's the key. Isn't it Natsu? It's Aether." Lucy asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine. It really only gets to me when it's quiet or when I'm asleep. It's still far from unbearable. I think I can build a bit of a tolerance to it." Natsu said. "I'm just not fond of the feeling it gives me. Like I said before, it's easy to forget it's there until I have time to remember it."

"I had a nightmare last night too, actually," Lucy said. "It was all dark, but then slowly balls of lights surrounded me. A voice seemed to taunt me to free it. It was vague with its words, but they terrified me. I wonder if it was Aether." Lucy said.

Natsu shook his head grimly. "I hope not. The whole reason I insisted on carrying the damn thing around was so you wouldn't be affected."

"I don't see what else it could have been. It seems strange that it was just be randomly thought up by my mind. Its words felt like the Key's." Lucy said.

"Then neither of us can escape it," Natsu said, his voice a whisper.

"We'll be alright, Natsu. We just have to pull through." Lucy's tone brightened. She wasn't fond of the heaviness in the air that was developing. Natsu smiled, though Lucy doubted it was genuine.

"You're right, Lucy."

Gray wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help it. Though he walked a bit ahead of them, it was still enough for him to hear bits of what they said. He would've zoned out completely, and in fact, he wasn't even listening in the beginning, but then he noticed the tone in Natsu's voice change. He sounded sad. Natsu rarely got this way. Gray only started to take interest as Natsu was talking about his father.

From what Gray picked out he felt guilty for neglecting to look for his father. Gray found this understandable. But then Natsu mentioned something about nightmares and whispering. This struck Gray as odd. Natsu was hearing whispers? He heard Lucy say Aether. Aether? What was that? He'd never heard of it. Gray couldn't really make out much else of what the were saying.

Gray had a feeling this was what was bothering Natsu. Whatever this Aether thing was. If that was so, then when Gray had talked to Lucy about it, she probably already knew what was wrong. Gray wasn't very happy that his best friend was keeping such a large secret from him, but he didn't let it get to him. If it ended up becoming a problem for Natsu or Lucy, he'd make sure to demand he knows so he could help them. He'd keep a close eye on both of them. But there wasn't much else he could do.

Gray continued to walk ahead of them farther away now that he couldn't hear them. He was walking alone. He didn't mind it though. This allowed him to go his own pace and think. Natsu and Lucy's conversation got him thinking about his own past. He never liked to think about it much, but now it was on his mind. He really did wonder where Ultear and Lyon were. None of them got along particularly well, but they were all still a family. He missed Ur to. It was hard on all of them to loss Ur, especially Ultear, to lose her. Then they could split up as well. The thought made Gray said, but he couldn't wipe it from his brain now that he was thinking about it. For all he knew, the two of them could be dead, or completely different. His thoughts were interrupted.

"Gray! You're walking alone! Wants some company?" Lucy's voice called. He turned to see them much closer than they were before. They must've picked up their pace. That was probably Natsu's doing. He was a fast walker. Gray was surprised he held his patience with Lucy that long. Gray smiled.

"Sure, I guess." He said. If they two of them couldn't get his mind off his past, he didn't know what else would. The two rushed forward to catch up to him. He stopped walked until they reached him.

"Oi, Whatcha doing walking by yourself. Where's Elfman and Gajeel?" Natsu asked.

"They're farther ahead I guess, most likely with Laxus, Mira, and Erza," Gray said. "And I wanted time to think." He said. Natsu and Lucy nodded in understanding.

"I hope Levy, Wendy, Happy, and Cana. Don't get lost back there. They're pretty far behind." Lucy said.

"They'll probably be fine. We're only walking straight. Besides, Levy knows what direction the tower is supposed to be so if we lose each other we'll find each other at our final destination." Gray said.

"True. Plus, Happy can fly and has a pretty good nose. He could sniff us out or fly high up to find us." Natsu added.

"Hopefully Cana doesn't drink all here booze before we even get there. We'll be in the tower for a good week at least and Laxus said we aren't going back into Magnolia until the Tower is completed unless there's a serious emergency." Gray said. Like he had hoped, his mind was already off of his past. Now he was focusing on the much more exciting future.

"I do wonder where we'll put our treasure after we complete a room," Lucy said. "Would we just set it in the hallway? Is there even a hallway?" Lucy asked. Gray nodded.

"Yeah, there's usually a series of hallways, stairs, and rooms where the room's door is placed. Sometimes that can be maze-like. But there isn't anything life threatening or dangerous in them until you get into a room. It's smart to hide or guard your loot though. Sometimes people go into the towers and take the money while a guild is completing another room." Gray said.

"The towers are usually big though. I wonder why there so much wasted space." Natsu said. Gray shrugged.

"I assumed the rooms take up a lot that space," Gray said.

"Well, if it's magic then I don't get why it needs to take up any space," Natsu said. Lucy and Gray gave him a questioning look. "Well, like how in stories there's this little tiny box, but when you go into it it's a whole giant world. I thought maybe that when you're entering a room, you're not entering a room, but an individual world, another dimension or something." Natsu explained. Lucy put her finger to her chin.

"So then the keys would be a tool to enter different dimensions," Lucy said understanding.

"Maybe, then, the towers are used to disguise that fact," Natsu said.

"Or maybe you're overthinking it. I don't see how it matters." Gray said.

"You're right it doesn't." Lucy agreed. Natsu shrugged.

"Besides, it's magic. It isn't supposed to make sense." Gray stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, look up," Gray said with a smile. They both did. As their eye caught what Gray was referring to, they both broke out into a grin. Peeking from the trees was the top of a tower.

* * *

 **Thatyetjade-** Yup. I did. I also watched the spin off with Sinbad recently. The Spirits will basically be how they are in Fairy Tail. Which is similar to how they are in Magi. They aren't genies though. They don't have vessels and aren't as powerful or large as them, nor can they have armor which I believe was a thing in Magi(their not blue either)... I know. Makorav was a character I really felt bad about leaving out. RIP Makorav. :')

 **Guest-** Thanks a ton! :) Sorry I couldn't update sooner, but here you are. Don't worry I like the enthusiasm. :D

 **Ashethenerdystargazer-** I am too. Next chapter should provide. You'll have to find out! ;) That's so much for your feedback. I'm doing the OVA's (no one opposed so I assume everyone on board) I will! Thank you :)

 **Expect the next chapter to be longer. Hopefully, I'll have it out in the next one-two weeks.**

 **Hope you enjoyed and have a lovely day!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry. It has been a little while, but here's another chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

The tower stood tall above them. The guild stood in a row looking up at it. It was intimidating. The building seemed to taunt them and dare them to enter. Fairy Tail's heads were tilted up, all in the fascination of the building.

Its height was impressive. It was several large trees tall. The whole outside was made of a shiny silver material. You could see the reflection of the forest on its glossy surface. It shined in the afternoon sun. If you were to touch it, you are met with a smooth clean surface that was warm from the sun. On the outside, the tower seemed to have several decks—or balconies rather—that were held up by pillars. Each section was exactly the same. So it was basically the same structure stacked onto itself seven or eight times. There were about six pillars around the perimeter of the towers. The pillars were large, round, and smooth. They seemed to act as not only decoration, but a made support for the balconies. At each deck, the Pillar would be cut off then continue. The decks/balconies were protected by no railing and it didn't seem like there was any way for you to get onto them by traditional means. The balconies themselves seemed to serve no purpose other than to make the exterior more flashy.

The tower was covered in designs. There was swirling features that look like plants and strange shapes and patterns etched into it. The were imprints that were a rectangular shaped that took the spot of a window put in patterned spots around the tower and the same on each section. The top of the tower was a dome shape. The whole thing stood on a base that was made from a pure marble. The base had a short flight of steps that lead to a large silver door that stood between two of the six pillars. Around the frame of the door was an unfamiliar writing in a different language. Levy probably could've translated, but in the moment, no one thought to ask.

"Wow," Lucy said dazedly. She knew better than to think it was a dream. It felt too real, to amazing to be a dream. Even considering it would make her quite sad. She refused to believe that a moment like this could be made up.

"Wow's right." Wendy agreed. The small girl wore the most amazed expression. Lucy envied her slightly. At her age, Lucy couldn't leave the house. Wendy was still so young and experiencing so much more than she had. But remembering the things Wendy had gone through, she knew she had been better of. Lucy felt guilty for the thought. She smiled at Wendy fondly.

"Shall we enter?" Laxus said. The guild nodded eagerly. It was apparent they were eager. The adventure they had waited so long for was right in front of them. So close they could almost taste it. It was like being at the starting line before a race, waiting anxiously for the starter pistol to go off.

The steps were wide enough for the guild to walk up them at the same time. They stood in a messy circle around the door. Elfman and Laxus pressed their hands against it. The rest waited in anticipation. With a nod of Laxus's head, they pushed the large door open. The door swung out revealing a large circular hall. The right side had a narrow staircase that traveled upward and spiraled. Its inclination was rather steep. Only two people would be able to walk side by side at a time even then that gave little extra space.

The room wasn't the same silver metal as the outside was, but rather it had a marble floor like the base the tower sat on. The walls were covered in a mural of many pictures of all sorts of things. They were truly exquisite and beautifully painted. Even grander than that of the delicate paintings on the walls of an old church. The colors were vibrant and combined together like a sort of sea. The collage of images depicted men and woman with white flowing dresses and large marvelous weapons. It showed creatures of many kinds and settings of flowers, stars, and could sit there looking at it for years and they'd still be more to stare at. The guild stared with wide starry eyes at the masterpiece. Surely no human could've mustered this with their hands. No, this was the creation of pure magic. It was clear not one of the guild members have seen something such as this inside a tower before. They very well might not see anything such as that again.

"For only being a Silver Tower, it sure has a nice interior," Cana spoke finally.

"Its simple in its layout, but its details are surely beautiful." Levy agreed.

"Too bad this beautiful thing will be gone once we beat all of its rooms," Erza said. This saddened them only for a moment before it brought a smile to their faces.

"It will have been worth it I say," Elfman said. The others nodded in agreement.

"It'll remain in the heart," Mira assured. Natsu was getting more anxious. He didn't care too much about the art. It was clear the others guys didn't either. They had acknowledged its beauty but didn't have any desire to stand around and gawk at it any longer.

"Can we go now," Gajeel grumbled. "I'm too fond of staring at a wall." Natsu shook his head in agreement. Leave it to Gajeel to stop a moment, but at this time, it was necessary.

"Right," Laxus nodded. "Come along then." Laxus headed for the steps. The others followed. They made their way up the narrow steps until they were lead into a dimly lit level. They all piled into the wide space. The only light was a series of lanterns the seemed to be lit by an unknown source. It reminded Lucy of the nightmare she had of the glowing orbs. Perhaps it was the magic power that brought the keys and towers to Earthland. The floor was hard and marble as before. Just like the floor below them, this one has a staircase leading up to the next level. The walls were the silver material like the outside and not nearly as interesting as the walls on the floor below.

All the members' eyes went to a fairly large door, larger than that of a front door you'd see on a house. Two lanterns on either side of the door made it the most illuminated spot in the room. The door was the same silver as the walls. Where a handle would usually sit was a small keyhole. In the center of other door was an imprint of a clock in made from silver. There was bold writing at the top of it in an unfamiliar language.

"Levy, do you know what it says?" Laxus asked.

"It spells H-O-R-O-L-O-G-I-U-M." Levy spelled. "Horologium, the pendulum clock." She gave a possible pronunciation and read the rest of the writing.

"What a strange name." Happy said. Lucy put her hand on her chin. She's heard it before. Mavis had said it but she'd heard it before then. It came to Lucy suddenly.

"Ah, it's a constellation. I hadn't realized before. It couldn't be a coincidence." Lucy said.

"Really? I wonder if the others are too." Wendy said.

"I don't remember their names, but I think that a fair possibility," Lucy said.

"I remember, but what it's called doesn't particularly matter," Laxus said. Lucy frowned.

"Right. Sorry." She apologized.

"Well, what're we waiting for, Lucy unlock it!" Natsu said impatiently.

"Slow down their Natsu," Gray said. "Its Lucy's first time. Let's take it slow." Natsu muttered something unkind under his breath but otherwise didn't argue. Lucy looked around her the others were watching her with patience eyes but hidden behind them they were eager. She hadn't expected to move so fast. She had hoped they take a moment before jumping right into a room.

"We should eat first," Laxus stated suddenly. Everyone looked at him with irritated looks. Though, Lucy was slightly realized. This seemed to please Laxus. He certainly did this on purpose.

"Eat? How can we eat at a time like this?" Happy stated.

"Oh, calm down. We want to be filled up before we go in. Plus we need to stretch. It's good to have your body warmed up. I learned this from my gramps." Laxus said. The other groaned and sat in a circle. The door seemed to taunt them as they did. The group ate small things since they needed to ration. Most everyone simply ate an apple and a piece of jerky. Lucy took a drink of her water. Laxus made everyone take their time. If he hadn't the guild would've been down in a less than a minute and would choke on their food as they scarfed it down.

"This is an interesting tower," Gray said before eating a bite of his apple.

"Is it different from the tower's you've been in before?" Erza asked. "I do wonder what others are like."

"Well, yeah," Gray said after swallowing his bite. "All towers are different. But I've never seen a mural like that before. It was pretty interesting. Most towers just have blank walls."

"You think there's a reason for it?" Levy asked.

"I don't think so," Cana said. Laxus nodded.

"It seems silly to assume whatever force made these towers appear had a purpose for the mural. It's simply just there." Laxus said.

"So the towers are generated randomly. By whatever makes them appear?" Lucy asked.

"That would be reasonable. After all, it's not the outside that matters. It's its contents." Mira said.

"What are the towers like that you guys have been in?" Happy asked. The question was directed to no one in particular.

"Well, there was one that couldn't even really be called a tower that I've been in. It wasn't very tall at all, and it was very long. It was made of stone. The doors of the rooms were gold." Gajeel said.

"We've been in one that was made of marble and copper. It was pretty neat." Elfman said.

"I wonder if gold key towers are any different," Wendy asked.

"I've never been inside one," Mira stated. The others nodded.

"Have you laxus?" Gray asked. Laxus shook his head.

"No, I haven't actually. The old guild only ever went on one gold key adventure. I wasn't old enough to go." Laxus explained.

"My father told me about some." Natsu offered up. "He said there was an all gold one that he went inside one time. Everything was gold from the floors to the ceiling, to the doors. He also said it was one of the tallest towers he had seen."

"Too bad we might never get to see one," Gajeel stated.

"You don't know that!" Lucy proclaimed. "We might!" Natsu raised an eyebrow at her suddenly passionate exclamation. Was she going to tell them about her gold keys then? Natsu also remembered the key around his neck and the key his father gave him. Of course, he'd have to tell the guild eventually that they had them if they were to find any more. Of course, he and Lucy could always find them by themselves. Natsu quickly got rid of the thought. They couldn't and wouldn't leave Fairy Tail. Though the keys are dangerous. More dangerous than anything any of them had even dreamed of. So maybe it would be better. The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded to him. He had scolded Lucy for trying to leave the guild before, but he could now see where she was coming from. _It doesn't matter. Just find the keys. It doesn't matter. As long as you and she reach me. I'm waiting. I'm waiting. I'm waiting. Time is ticking, Natsu. Time is always tick-tick-ticking._ Natsu shook his head and cursed mentally, replacing the words of the whispers. He didn't need to think about that now. He should stay focus on the task in front of him. Besides whenever he thought about that, the whispers liked to interject their opinions.

"Lucy's right!" Erza said. "We did say we were going to be the best didn't we?!"

"Right and to be the best we need to train. So let's get on that so we can complete our first room together." Laxus said.

"We should focus on the smaller picture. We haven't even walked inside our first room. We don't need to think about Gold Keys right now." Cana said. The rest of them laughed and nodded.

Elfman took the liberty of leading the group in some simple exercises. They stretched each muscle group, did some core exercises, simple upper and lower body workouts, and other various things. Wendy prepared some simple pain medications and ointments just in case. They all sharpened their weapons. Lucy noted that Natsu and Gray had slightly better swords that before. They were nothing as grand as Erza's or Mira's, but they were better than the dinky ones they had before. Lucy became excited to think about seeing the guild in action. They were all skilled fighters. She was excited to see what she could do as well.

The guild packed their things together again and then all stood in wait. Lucy took a deep breath. She pulled out the key that had the same clock symbol as the door. As her hand touched it, it began to glow a faint yellow. Lucy stared at this and paused for a short moment, only to bring the key toward the door once more. As the key got closer the glowing got more intense. Until finally in an almost blinding light, she put the key into the lock. It went in straight away. With a deep breath, Lucy turned it. The door seemed to disappear revealing a marvelous light like what you might see at death. The light made the guild squint, otherwise, their eyes would be wide with wonder. Lucy would've stayed frozen forever, but Mira lightly guided her forward. Lucy was the first to fully enter the light.

For a second, everything was white and she felt like she was nowhere yet everywhere at the same time. Like she was weightless and flying. The white slowly formed into colored orbs and those orbs slowly turned into shapes until Lucy was standing in a coherent place. A long wide endless hallway to be exact. Lucy marveled at the site. She didn't even notice her guildmates appearing from nothing behind her. The infinite wall was covered in clocks of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. There was an endless ticking noise that almost drove her insane upon only mere seconds. The clocks showed all different times, but they ticked and turned in sync. The clocks stopped ticking and stopped moving altogether. This startled Lucy. Her shoulders arched up at the occurrence and settle back down only moment later. There was a moment of complete silence. The guild waited for something to happen.

"Who dares enter and disrupt the movement of time!" A voice that trying to sound sinister had proclaimed. Its voice was deep and sophisticated. It had a posh accent. Rather than sounding serious like it was supposed to, it just came across as funny. The guild exchanged looks of confusion.

"Uh. Us." Natsu stated dumbly. Lucy was about to laugh. There was another pause.

"Hm, interesting." The posh voice said. "This group has unique pasts, they do. Many pasts."

"Pasts?" Lucy whispered to herself.

"Yes, pasts, Lucy Heart—" The voice began. It stopped midway through. Lucy's heart raced. The voice seemed to snicker. "I can see all of your pasts. Which ones should I choose." Once again there was a pause and complete silence. The guild was noticeably more uneasy with the thoughts of their pasts on their mind. If the voice, whatever it really was, knew their pasts, it knew their weaknesses, it knew _them_.

The silence was broken by not the voice this time, but by a deep full ring. The ring went on for several seconds until it stopped completely. Simultaneously, four of their guildmates collapsed onto the slick and hard floor. Gray, Erza, and Mira and Elfman were sprawled unconscious on the ground. Immediately, the other members rushed to them. Lucy, holding Erza's hand was almost on the verge of crying. Wendy checked their pulse. After a couple seconds, she let out a sigh of relief.

"There's still alive," Wendy said. This didn't make them feel any better.

"I'm afraid that doesn't mean they'll wake up anytime soon," Levy said with a dreadful look in her eyes. Lucy glanced to Natsu, who was noticeable furious.

"What the hell did you do to them?" Natsu demanded. He stood alert, ready to attack anything that might show itself to him. He hand was centimeters from his sword. Lucy could see he was itching to grab it. To do something.

"No, need to worry, Natsu Dragneel." The voice said. The clocks were at a steady tick now. A shallow quiet constant noise that tickled their ears. "Your friends are taking a trip. A trip to the past."

"Knock it off! Show yourself." Gajeel growled. The posh voice hummed mockingly.

"I need not do such a thing." The voice said. "If you're so anxious to die, then I shall have some friends to see to it, I will."

"Friends?" Cana said.

"Hickory, Dickory, dock. The mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one and down he'd run. Hickory, Dickory Dock." The voice sang. From up ahead from somewhere down the endless hallway three large shapes of brown approached them. Lucy's heart pumped faster. Suddenly, small mice came from the walls of clocks. They emerged from small holes that were previously hidden within the many clocks. They surrounded fairy Tail's feet. Lucy screeched and kicked them away from her. Behind Lucy; Levy, Wendy and Happy from a half circle around their passed out members and did their best to keep the creatures away. Now, focused on the numerous small rodents, Lucy and the others didn't notice the three figures rapidly approaching.

"There's so freaking many," Cana said kicking and swinging her weapon at the mice. Many of them lay dead on the ground.

"That's the least of our worries," Laxus said gravely. "Look ahead."

"What are those?" Wendy said. Her voice trembled at the size of the figures coming toward them. She inched closer to her defenseless unconscious friends protectively, but she didn't trust herself to protect them. She was terribly afraid. Happy seemed to stand fearless and angry, the way Natsu was. He stood tall, fist clenched, ready to face anything that would come towards him. The cat's confidence made Wendy gain a bit more herself. Surely if Happy wasn't afraid, then Wendy shouldn't either.

The figures were now discernible. They were three large gnarly looking rats. There backs arched unnaturally. Their feet naked muddied-pink feet sported long shape claws. Their long teeth jutted from their mouth. They were knife sharp. All three of the rats were a fair amount taller than Elfman. From head to tall they were longer than they were tall. The rat to the right had an ashy light brown fur that stuck up like an angry dog's. Its eyes were a sparkling amber color. If it was on any other creature might be described as pretty. The middle mouse's fur was a darker brown, almost black color. Its eyes were a deep black; noticeably darker than its fur. Its large round ears were pierced with gold rings. Lucy and the others noted this as odd. The last rat had a greyer fur with brown undertones. Its fur was longer than the others and slick. Its eyes were a lighter brown. The middle rat hisses and bared its teeth.

"Humans. Can we eat them, Horologii hissed yearnfully." The voice said. "To that, I say do what you wish." The right rat crawls forward slowly.

"It's been awhile since I've eaten, Lacaille grumbled ravenously." The voice spoke for the monsters.

"It will be a feast, my brothers, Christiaan proclaimed triumphantly." The voice spoke for the gray rat.

By this time, the guild members had their weapons raised against the creatures. Natsu stood against the middle rat called Horologii. Lucy and Cana in front of the rat called Lacaille. That left Christiaan to Gajeel. Wendy, Levy, and Happy kept the smaller numerous rats away from Mira, Elfman, Erza, and Gray.

Mira and Elfman were surrounded by flames. The place that surrounded them was familiar. They looked at each other, then down to themselves only to find they were much smaller and much younger. Mira's womanly figure was replaced with the small prepubescent body of a little girl. Elfman's muscle and manly physique were replaced with a stouter weaker young boy. The flames the burned around them and warmed their skin. They recognized the place as their old home. It was such a distant memory that they had almost forgotten it. Seeing it again made the memories flood back to them. They stood still afraid and sad. They had wanted to forget this. Why was it haunting them again all of the sudden?

A shrill scream rang out. Mira and Elfman looked around. The scream was their sister's. Elfman and Mira broke into a frantic search. They forgot about the flames around them. They only focused on Lisanna. They needed to save Lisanna.

Elfman heard her terrified desperate sobs and followed them to her hiding place. The house around them was falling apart. Elfman found her in the closet. Her knees were pulled into her chest. Tears ran down her face. She coughed several times before falling forward into her brother's arms in relief. Her sobs were reduced to only steady tears. She clung to Elfman tightly as he carried her through the burning house. Elfman, carrying his younger sister on his back, grabbed his older sisters had and dragged them out. The air outside was frigid and cold. The night was starless. The threesome slouched away from their old home that would soon be reduced to ashes. Their parents were still inside trapped in the flames.

Mira and Elfman jumped forward to a new memory. This one was fresher in their minds. Their child bodies matured into early teens. The yellow sun shone brightly above them. So bright they couldn't look directly at it. The sky was a brilliant blue and know clouds covered an inch of its beauty. The trees around them seemed greener than usual and swayed in the steady wind. The tower was barely visible ahead of them, but Lisanna spotted it immediately.

Lisanna, with a large grin, pointed ahead. Mira and Elfman looked in the direction of her finger to see what she was pointing at. It took them a second, but they too then saw it. A sliver of a building. It was made of smooth gray stone.

"There it is!" Lisanna exclaimed happily. "This is going to be a good one I can feel it."

"You say that every time," Mira argued.

"And every time is a good one isn't it," Lisanna stated a matter-of-factly. Elfman laughed.

"Oh, whatever," Mira grumbled defeated. Lisanna smiled at her small triumph and began to run towards the tower.

"Come on!" Lisanna called. Mira and Elfman took off after her.

They stopped abruptly at the tower in from of them. The base of the tower were several large smooth domed-shaped stones. From the center of them, a large stone tower with several evenly placed skinny rectangular windows was erected. Green ivy crawled across it in several spots. Lisanna was already making her way towards the door that was placed in the large stones. She waited for her sibling to approach the door as well. When Elfman and Mira were at her side she pushed the door open.

Inside the tower was made mostly of the same smooth stones that were visible outside. It was rather dark since the only light was from dimly glowing lanterns that hung from several places on the stone walls. There was a thin hall in front of them. Lisanna went forward and her sibling followed suit until the reached a flight of stairs. The stairs lead up to another hallway, this only took them through a series of turns until and the end of the hallway they found a door almost completely covered in ivy and tiny white flowers.

Lisanna pulled out a silver key. It glowed and she brought it to the door. I fit into the keyhole perfectly. The door erupted in a white light. Lisanna, Mira, and Elfman were taken somewhere else.

The air was cold and wet. It was uncomfortable to stand in and harder to breathe. The sky above them was a dark gray. Rain fell from the sky and dampened the atmosphere further. Ground the stood on was rocky and around them, large stone structures could be seen. The siblings stood together uncertain of what to do. A large roar erupted suddenly. The three huddled closer together in the moment of fear, before slipping apart, readying their weapons.

There was an another roar, louder this time. The ground began to tremble. The trio looked up, to see a large beastly demon. It was tall. Far taller than any creature they had seen before. It hands large golden horns sprouting from its large shoulder and forehead. Its legs were bird-like and sported large black claws each the size of Lisanna. It had a white mane around its head. Its eyes were glowing a fierce red. Its teeth jutted from its mouth and were stained yellow. Its hands were too large for its arms and in them, it held a large club with giant blacks spikes poking out of them.

"It kinda looks like you Elfman." Mira teased before running forward. Elfman did the same. Mira jumped up into the air, sword aimed for the beast. She jumped in too quickly. She didn't take the time to plan out her attack and as a result, she was knocked out of the sky easily by the thing's large hands. Lisanna rushed forward now. The creature was focused on Mira. It walked slow steps forward toward where Mira lay sprawled. Mira struggled to get herself up. Elfman hadn't noticed. If was focused on his own attack. He was coming up from behind the beast. He managed to jump onto it. The creature was so large, however, that Elfman had little effect on it with simply his bare hands. He crawled up the beast further, searching for a soft point for him to hit. Meanwhile, Lisanna stood in front of her sister, her hands holding onto a small sword. She wasn't afraid though. Her hands were steady. The beast's hands headed from them. Lisana swung the sword and its large fingers. She was able to make a cut, but it was merely a paper cut to the beast. However, it was enough to get the thing angry.

"Lisanna! Get out of the way!" Mira said, still trying to force herself to stand up. Lisanna didn't listen. The dumb girl never listened. The beast swung forward again and this time, Lisanna's sword did little. The beast flung Lisanna through the air until she made a hard impact with one of the stone structures and fell to the ground lifeless. Mira forced her body up desperately.

"Lisanna!" Mira cried out.

Elfman was still unaware. He managed to make it to the beast's head. He crawled onto its face and stared into its large red eyes. With only a small moment of hesitation, he shoved his fist into it. The beast roared and stumbled, swinging its head frantically. Elfman flew off of the beast and landed onto the ground on his feet. He noticed Lisanna then. She wasn't moving. She could see a puddle of blood forming around her. His eyes widen as he ran towards her. He scooped his younger sister up in his arms while scanning the scene for Mira. He spots her. Her eyes flamed with rage. She was a different person then. It was clear.

Mira rushed forward. She shoved the sword into the beast's ankles again and again. Thick dark blood leaked from them. The beast roared loudly shaking the ground around them. The beast stumbled more until finally it lost its balance and fell onto the ground. The impact nearly knocked Mira of her feet and it caused the structures around her to crumbled. Mira's fierce eyes were teary with rage and she climbed onto the beast stabbing it repeatedly without mercy until it stopped moving altogether. Mira's breaths were heavy. She ran to her brother and sister. Elfman had tears in his eyes as he held his sister in his arms. Lisanna's breath was so small. She managed to open he eyes faintly.

"I don't wanna go home, Elfman, Mira. I wanna go on adventures a little while longer. There so much I want us to see together—" Lisanna's voice faded and his eyes fluttered closed.

"Lisanna! Lisanna, don't leave us!" Elfman cried out.

"It should've been me. It wasn't your job to protect me. I was supposed to protect you. I'm the older sister…" Mira cried into her hands. "I should've protected you…" The room around them became bright and the two of them were transported back to the hallway. Along with them, there were piles of shimmering jewels. They didn't pay any mind to them though. Only one the missing Lisanna who disappeared into nothing along with the rest of the room.

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Nalu and Inukag-** Aw, thank you. :) Sorry, I didn't really update soon, but I did update.

 **ThatyetJade-** That's fine, it was as good as the original anyway. Yep, no metal vessels and for mainly that reason. The spirits are probably gonna be really fun to write about.

 **the real narnia-** Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I put a lot of effort into it and I'm glad it's paying off.

 **So originally, I was going to have everything that happens in the room in one chapter, but it was taking me a really long time to complete as life kept getting in the way, so it's going to be split up into three different chapters. Just a head's up, the next chapter might be like an OVA thing I mentioned before. But this is only if it's taking me a while to put out the next chapters to you.**

I love you all! Thanks so much for the support. I have nearly nine thousand views now and makes me extremely that people are actually seeing my writing and enjoying it. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I so excited for the things t come!

 **As always, have a lovely day!**


	16. Igneel and Layla's First Adventure

**Heyo. Just a head's up, this is one of those "OVA" Chapters (I use the term loosely) I mentioned before cause it's taking me a bit to finish chapter 16 due to a mild case of writer's block and lack of motivation. It follows Layla and Igneel. Sorry if they seem OOC, but I figured since they didn't appear much in the anime I could take more liberty to be creative with them. Hope you enjoy, even if it interrupts the main arc.**

 **Sorry if they seem OOC, but I figured since they didn't appear much in the anime I could take more liberty to be creative with them. Hope you enjoy, even if it interrupts the main arc.**

 **Hope you enjoy, even if it interrupts the main arc.**

* * *

 **Layla and Igneel's First Adventure.**

The two adventurers couldn't be more different from each other. Igneel was loud and over the top. It didn't seem that way at first, but once he got more and more comfortable around Layla, the more he'd be himself. Moreover, he seemed to be a rather cold and distant person, but that wasn't really the case. He was hot-headed without a doubt, but he could really sweet and caring. The same when for Layla. Igneel thought Layla was a sweet, sensitive, and innocent girl. She certainly _could_ be all those things, but with Igneel, she didn't hesitate to break that facade. She wasn't afraid to make fun of him, or argue, or complain, or yell. Despite what you might think at first meeting, Layla could be terrifying.

They've been traveling together for two weeks now. They walked to where ever they needed to go. Igneel said it saved money, but Layla suspected there was another reason that he wasn't willing to share just yet. Layla had a fairly good guess as to what that was. She didn't mind the long treks all that much. She found she could see a lot more and experience things she never had traveling on boats and trains.

Igneel insisted on training himself every day, but shown a little mercy toward Layla and let her skip some if she wasn't up to it. Igneel was a rather good teacher as far as combat went. She could tell he was very skilled. This made Layla speculate why he'd choose such an inexperienced Key Keeper. She knew it was only because he couldn't find anyone else. She was his last resort, which meant she'd have to work hard to prove herself. Layla did her best to train every day alongside Igneel and keep up with him. She was getting into the best shape she'd ever been in. No wonder Igneel was so lean and muscular. She wasn't surprised when she saw he had a six-pack. (Not that she was trying to look. Igneel walked around in just his underwear often. Everythings kinda just there.)

At first, Layla was appalled by Igneel's indecency, but it didn't take her very long to get used to it. She figured Igneel didn't have very much experience traveling with a girl, just as Layla didn't have much experience traveling with a guy. Plus, it showed Igneel was comfortable around Layla. Layla was happy he was comfortable with her, but she didn't think she'd be at that level of comfort with Igneel for a while.

Igneel and Layla were on their way to Hargeon. When they were in Crocus, they were registered as a Solo Adventurer and Key Keeper pair. They found the information they needed for Layla's measly three keys. One key, with small silver flowers budding from it, was called Rosa of Flos Tower, near Royal City. The next, a silver key with heart-shaped etchings, was Cor of Motus Tower, in outside of Tuly Village. Finally the last key, and simplistic key with diamond-like jewels down its base, Noa of Pura Tower, in Hargeon. They decided to go to Hargeon first, then directly west to Royal City, then North toward Tuly. It seemed like a lot of effort for three silver keys, but Igneel insisted. He said that along the way, they'd search for more keys. Igneel predicts they'll complete all the rooms in a little over a month. Layla wasn't so sure about this. This was their first time with all this. Igneel had a little too much faith in the two of them.

They were nearly to Hargeon. They'd arrive by sunset. Layla had never been to Hargeon, so she was excited to go there. Unfortunately, because Igneel seemed eager to get them completing rooms, she doubted she'd get very much time to explore. Igneel liked to get right into the action. Layla liked to stop and smell the roses.

"Igneel. When was the last time you bathed?" Layla asked as the walked the road that led to Hargeon. Igneel didn't respond and Layla looked to him. He looked like was thinking. Layla narrowed her eyes. "If you have to think about it, then it probably means you're due," Layla stated.

"What do I smell?" Igneel stated, smelling his armpits. "I can't smell anything."

"That's ironic. You can smell food from ten miles away, but you can't smell your own stench." Layla stated.

"Do I really smell that bad?" Igneel said sniffing himself again like he didn't believe it.

"You don't smell completely unbearable, but you're getting there. When we get to the hotel in Hargeon, be sure to bathe. You should at least shower every other day Igneel." Layla said.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep that in mind." Igneel waved her off.

"Tsk. _You'll keep that in mind_." Layla huffed. "I shouldn't be surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean, Lay," Igneel said in a challenging tone.

"It means that it's just like you not to care about stuff like that. I mean you've been traveling alone for practically your whole life. No one was probably there to tell you when you stunk." Layla said. Igneel looked like he was going to protest, but there was nothing to say. It was true. Igneel seemed slightly distraught by the statement. Layla smiled at him. "That's going to change though, cause now you have me. I teach you proper manners. We're human, after all." Igneel rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm a dragon," Igneel stated sarcastically. Layla shrugged.

"I actually could see that. You act enough like one." Layla teased. "Fire Dragon Igneel, coming to burn down a town near you."

"That sounds awesome," Igneel said starry eyes. Layla laughed out loud.

"Of course you'd think that!" She shook her head.

"Of course I would." Igneel echoed in agreement. They laughed as the walked onwards.

"Have you been to Hargeon, Igneel?" Layla asked.

"I've been everywhere, Lay," Igneel said a matter-of-factly.

"Have you really?" Layla asked. She was jealous of him. He nodded.

"Practically."

"How come you haven't completed a room? You've been traveling around for a long time haven't you?" Layla asked.

"Well, I never managed to get a Key Keeper. I came close a few times, but never managed to hold onto one." Igneel stated truthfully.

"Probably because you smelt bad." Layla laughed

"I think it was more than I was inexperienced," Igneel argued.

"Believe what you want, but you're hygiene definitely came into play."

"If you think I smell that bad then why are you still traveling with me." Igneel huffed.

"I was desperate." Layla shrugged carelessly.

"That makes two of us," Igneel said harshly. They glare at each other for a long moment. Layla's straight face quivers as she tries to hold back a laugh. Igneel is still going strong. Layla couldn't hold it in anymore and lets out a laugh and a goofy grin. Merely seconds later Igneel joins in. Their laughing ceases and Igneel sighs.

"We're both inexperienced and young," Igneel said. "We wouldn't have ever found anyone else besides each other."

"That just means we'll have to prove them wrong." Layla smiled.

"And become the best Solo Adventures that they've ever seen," Igneel adds enthusiastically.

"We're not off to a great start considering we only have three silver keys," Layla stated.

"Which is why we're searching for more." Igneel intoned. "Catch up, Lay." Layla took note of the new nickname that Igneel had given her. When he had used it the first time, she didn't think he would call her it again, but it seemed to catch on. No one's called her such a nickname before. She didn't mind it though. In fact, she could imagine herself getting quite attached to it.

"I knew that…" Layla protested. "But how do you even go about searching for keys, especially gold ones. It's not like we have a map or even the slightest clue on where to look. It just seems a bit hopeless I guess."

"I don't think it'll be too hard. We have you. Can't you _feel_ them?" Igneel asked. Layla raised an eyebrow.

" _Feel_ them? What do you mean _feel_ them?" Layla asked. Igneel thought for a moment like he didn't even know what he meant by his words.

"Well, I always thought that's how it worked. You're a Key Keeper. You could use the keys power and because of that you could feel it, sense it. I mean I can feel some sort of power coming off of you. I knew you were a Key Keeper when I came near you." Igneel explained. Layla thought.

"No, I don't think I can," Layla said. She'd never felt anything strange when she encountered a key or a person for that matter.

"Have you tried?" Igneel asked. Layla shook her head. "Why don't you then. See if you can feel anything."

"How exactly do I do that?" Layla inquired.

"Uh, close your eyes and stay real quiet. Come on, we'll take a break from walking a bit, and get off the road." Igneel dragged Layla off the road little ways into the woods. He stopped and sat cross-legged on the ground. Layla followed his lead and sat down, her back against a large tree. She found this quite strange but she didn't tell Igneel that. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She stayed as quiet as possible and didn't move. She did this for several seconds but felt no different. She opened her eyes to see Igneel doing the same thing. She stared at him with a smile. She couldn't believe he was actually quiet for once. She marveled at him trying not to laugh. Igneel opened one eyes suddenly, making Layla stumble and hit her back against the tree behind her.

"What're you doing," Igneel said suspiciously. "You're supposed to be trying to feel the keys.

"I did," Layla defended. "Nothing happened."

"Try again. I'm going to watch you this time. Don't open your eyes till you feel something." Igneel said.

"Don't you think this is rather silly, Igneel." Layla snickered.

"It's not silly at all. Besides even if it was, why would it matter? No one can see us." Igneel stated impatiently.

"Fine." Layla sighed and closed her eyes again. The world seemed very still and quiet. She watched the lights in her eyes lids dance. She stayed like this for what seemed like a very long time. Every time she began to lose her patience, she tried to instead focus herself more. Sure enough, she felt something new. A warmth. It was faint and first and she couldn't tell where it was coming from. But as she let a few more moment pass focusing on the warmth she was able to locate it. It was coming from the three keys she always carried. She focused on the spot and its warmth until the warmth began to distinguish itself into three different feelings. It was hard to describe how they were different. Sure, one was warmer than the other, but that wasn't all. One seemed to tingle the slightest bit and another seemed to pulse slowly. She opened her eyes with a wondrous grin.

"I could feel it, Igneel! You were right!" Layla beamed in fascination. She hadn't expected it to work. She thought that surely Igneel was crazy.

"Oi, I thought ya so." Igneel smiled. He stood up suddenly. "That's enough of that though. We've wasted to much time. We won't get to Hargeon till after sundown now. Come on we need to get back to the road." Igneel grabbed Layla's hand and pulled her up, dragging her back to the road.

Layla and Igneel arrived in Hargeon when the sun was almost fully set. Behind them, the sky was a deep blue and stars winked at them. Above them, the sky slowly transitioned into a misty blue and then to a strip of darkened orange where the sun set on the sea. They walked into the port town. The streets were the classic cobbled kind. The houses were mostly white, so there colored roofs popped out considerably even in the dark. The streets where lip up with multiple street lights. Not very many people walked the streets. The town had a distinct smell of the salty sea and cooked fish. It wasn't a bad smell though.

Layla and Igneel found a hotel little ways into the town. They got a room on one of the higher floors for a relatively decent price. They took their few things up to the room with them. The room's layout was fairly plain, but neither of them minded. It had a standard bathroom, two twin sized beds with a bed stand in between with a lamp sitting atop it, and a table with two chairs. There was a large window that gave them a marvelous view of the port and the sea. They set their stuff down.

Layla snapped and gestured to the bathroom.

"Shower time!" She exclaimed. Igneel scowled at her.

"You remembered." He said unenthused.

"Of course. Your stench is a constant reminder." She teased. Igneel rolled his eyes. He picked up a change of clothes and headed into the restroom. When he was gone, Layla peeled off her own clothes and changed into her pajamas. She wore a simple white camisole and some black shorts with tiny yellow stars on them. She gathered the clothes she had and Igneel's as well.

"I'm going to wash ours clothes Igneel. I'll be back." She called to him as she walked out the door.

When she came back Igneel was out of the shower and sitting on his bed, sharpening a sword. His red hair still tripping on his bare chest. She set the laundry down on the bed.

"Didn't you already sharpen your sword yesterday," Layla asked hopping onto the be.

"Yes, but this isn't my sword. It's yours." Igneel smiled. Layla laughed and began to fold the clothes.

"Mine?"

"Yup. You need some way to defend yourself." Igneel stated.

"I don't know how much good it will do considering I've never used a sword before in my life," Layla said.

"Well, better that you have a weapon than not. You should be fine just following your instincts as long as whatever we encounter doesn't have sword fighting skills. I teach you how to use it better after we complete the room." Igneel said.

"Whatever you say." Layla sighed. She didn't have much confidence in Igneel's words, nor her own skills. She set Igneel's folded clothes onto his bed and set hers neatly into her leather bag. "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight." Layla said burrowing herself into the comforter and closing her eyes. She figured it is best to go to sleep early. They had a big adventure ahead of them.

The sun woke Layla up in the morning. She squinted and the room. It was strange to wake up in the place. She was used to waking up to trees and the fresh forest air. She sat up and yawned rubbing her eyes. She could her Igneel familiar snores filling the room. She got out of the bed and made it before proceeding to the shower.

She found it strange again taking a real shower. It seemed like she hadn't in forever. She wished the hotel had a bathtub at least. She liked baths more than showers. It was strange how accustomed she had gotten to bathing in a stream, sleeping in the woods, and eating the burnt food Igneel made over the campfire.

It had only been two weeks, but she had come to love those things in a strange way. She enjoyed the company the Igneel provided. He was her first friend. She hadn't realized how much more fun adventures and traveling could be with someone to share it with.

Layla got on of the shower ten minutes later and changed. She changed into a blue dress that was tight around her chest them flared out and her upper thigh. Around her waist, she wore a brown belt that held her few keys and her jewel. She slid on some white socks that traveled up to her lower thigh and dark brown leather boots. She towel dried her hair and them brushed the damp gold locks. She put small star-shaped studs in her ears and then brushed her teeth. She walked out of the bathroom and put her pajamas into her leather bag. She walked over to Igneel who was still snoring away. As she got closer she noted that he was drooling a well. She placed her hands on his shoulder and shook him lightly. Igneel shot up instantly like there was a sudden threat of danger. His widened eyes narrowed into a tired squint. He slowly descended back into the mattress as his sudden urgency melted away.

"You scared me.' Igneel yawned and smacks his mouth. His sharp canines hit his bottom lip when he did so.

"You? Scared? That's a first." Layla stated. This was true, though, for the most part. Besides his hatred towards normal transportation that boarded on fear, his never seemed to get afraid or be surprised.

"I was having a dream," Igneel said. "Something about an actual bed makes me sleep weird."

"Must've been a good dream then. What about?" She asked. She had to ask. As for the bed, Igneel probably rarely got the chance to sleep in on. She pondered whether he found it more comfortable than the outdoors. She doubted that though. Igneel was in his element when he's roughing it.

"I don't remember." Layla wasn't sure if this was a lie because he didn't want to tell her for some unknown reason or the genuine truth. It could've gone either way, but Layla didn't want to think Igneel would lie to her. That was a bad habit to get into if they were going to spend every day with each other. Layla wasn't gonna pry anymore though. It was a waste of energy. Layla clicked her tongue and stepped away.

"Hurry up and get ready so we can eat breakfast and leave," Layla stated.

"Mm. I'm starving." Igneel stated. Layla smiled.

"Yes, well you always starving. Which reminds me, we still need supplies before we waltz into a room." Layla said. "We're terribly unprepared. We only have enough food one meal for me." Igneel looked appalled.

"A you-sized meal! That's practically nothing." Igneel bleated. Layla rolled her eyes.

"Says the guy who eats a mountain of food and still could eat a mountain more," Layla said. "Now get up," Layla called. "We're losing valuable time." Igneel tsked and rolled out of the bed. It didn't take him long to change. Layla made him brush his teeth and hair. They gathered their things and headed out of the door.

There was a breakfast buffet connected to the lobby that both Layla and Igneel headed straight for. Layla was concerned about the all you can eat sign that stood at the entrance to the line. She new Igneel would gladly take advantage of this.

They went through the line. Layla managed to keep Igneel from eating everything there while taking a few things for herself. They ate quickly. The thought of lost time on their minds. Igneel finished before Layla, even though he had a hundred times more food than she did. He ate like a wild animal. She almost was convinced he was half beast of some kind.

They checked out of the hotel and headed out into the streets. It was pretty early; the sun was still rising. Even so, there were people walked down the cobbled streets and talking with each other. Some carried a basket of fish, while others carried bags and basket from the many markets and stands on the road. Now that it was daytime, a lot more booths were open. People sold flowers and fruits, clothes and jewelry, but a large part of the markets sold fish and other seafoods. Numerous smells filled their noses. Layla was thankful they had to buy supplies, for she could explore more of the lively port town.

They stopped at a few shops and bought rolls of bread, jerky, nuts, dried fruits, and rice. They needed to carry an extra bag, but it was worth it as long as they wouldn't go hungry. They filled their canteens up with water, hopefully, they'd last or they'd find a source of water in the room. It was hard to figure out how much food and water to bring since you can be in a room for any period of time.

They had everything they needed, and they were about to head toward the Eastern outskirts of the city to the coastline. Layla felt a unique and overwhelming warmth, like the one she felt before. It was a key. She turned in the direction it came from. She turned to see a key and weapon shop: Proper Grocer. She tugged on Igneel's sleeve and pointe at the building.

"There are keys in there. Can we check it out?" Layla asked. Igneel shrugged.

"Sure. But we oughta make it quick." Layla squealed happily and rushed into the shop, excited to see what she'd find. The keys were in a glass case at the front. An old man stood behind it. The keys, like they are everywhere else, are incredibly expensive. She knew they couldn't afford them, especially after buying the supplies for the trip. Layla frowned, but she wasn't really that upset. This was expected. Ignoring the prices tags, she took a moment to just stare at the keys themselves. The warmth divided itself like it had done before. Each of the keys we now identifiable to her, without looking at them. A silver on caught her eye. It was fairly cheap she noticed. There was nothing particularly special about it. It was a sleek and simple silver key with a simple picture of a head with a pointed nose. She might have a chance to get this one and a small price.

"Sir, is there any way possible I can buy that key right there?" Layla asked kindly. Her voice was hopeful and sweet.

"Why, sure, I don't see why not. That'll be 30,000 jewels." The man stated. Layla frowned. Igneel watched from behind with an interested but confused look.

"You couldn't knock it down a bit?" Layla pleaded leaning in. She gave a mournful look.

"No, unfortunately. Business had been slow lately." The old man gave an apologetic look.

"BUt—" Layla began. Igneel stepped forward with a serious smirk.

"You see, my Key Keeper and I here can't afford to pay that much right now. We're heading off on a long journey today and we've spent a large sum on supplies. You see, we're hardcore adventures. Usually, we'd buy gold keys no problem, let alone silver ones, but blondie here has a problem with shopping and practically drained our bank account. So if you could put us on a tab and give us the key for let's say 5000 down payment, when we can, we'll repay you three times the amount the original key once we start earning again. We usually wouldn't go to so much effort for a key, especially a silver one, but you see it isn't even for us, it's for her younger sister. It's her birthday tomorrow and Layla needs to get her a present before we leave for our journey. Lacy does hate it when her sister is gone for so long and she's devastated she'll miss her tenth birthday. So you see we're in a bind her and in a hurry so is it a deal or no." Lies spilled out of Igneel's mouth like waterfalls. Layla watched baffled. She wasn't sure if she agreed with his methods but is it delivered then what could she say. She had a feeling Igneel would pay him back in full and then some eventually though, that's just how he is.

"Uhm, yes I suppose that's fine." The shopkeeper agreed but seemed confused. Igneel placed some jewels on the table while the man took the key from its place in the glass and set it on the table. Layla took from him with a pleased smile. The left the store quickly before the shopkeeper could change his mind. Lyal found herself laughing.

"That was terrible." She said putting the key up in the air and admiring it.

"It worked though. Lacy will be happy." Igneel smirked. Layla laughed some more.

"No kidding. I'm a great sister." She smiled. She put the key into her belt with the others.

"So gullible." Igneel shook his head at the shopkeeper in question.

"You're just a good liar, Igneel. I'm not so sure that's a good thing." Layla stated.

"It's a great thing. I have all kinds of great skills, Lay. I'm the best. The one and only Igneel Dragneel."

"The one and only Igneel Dragneel," Layla repeated with a laugh. "You got that right."

"And you're the one and only Layla Heartfilia," Igneel added. "I mean you'd have to be pretty special to be partners with someone so great like me."

"Thanks, I guess," Layla shook her head. "But don't sound so arrogant." She scolded lightheartedly.

The finally exited Hargeon and now walked the forest near the rocky coast. Igneel walked quicker than usual, but Layla was too. It wasn't clear it if was because for their excitement or because they somehow felt they were late because they fell behind their original schedule. It was very well could be both. They couldn't see any sign of a tower yet, but Layla could feel it. It was a similar feeling to that of the warmth of the keys, but it seemed to burrow deeper into her somehow. It warmed her bones and made her feel a satisfying the feeling got stronger, her heart pumped faster, and the most nervous and excited she got. She wondered if maybe Igneel could feel it too.

They finally found the tower. It sat on the edge of the forest on the sand. Its doors faced the sea. The tower was smooth and shiny. The ocean and sun were reflected in the smooth white material it was made from. Layla looked up and with wide eyes and mouth agape. She was practically trembling with excitement. The warm feeling tingled her heart and made her warm all over. She looked to Igneel expecting to see the same reaction. He was serious and calm though. Perhaps on the inside, he was churning with excitement. She wondered why now it didn't seem to show. Layla determined that that was just how Igneel was. He'd be serious when the times he needed to fight got closer. She smiled at him. She knew he could see her out of the corner of his eyes but he ignored her. She searched his face and sure enough, she found what she was looking for. The slightest smiled played on Igneel's lips. The corner of his mouth was upturned the slightest bit. His eyes were fiery with adrenaline and a hunger to fight. Her own starry eyes glowed and twinkled with spirit. This was enough to assure her. Igneel and Layla would become the best one day because no one else had as much passion in their eyes as them.

* * *

 **the real narnia-** Yup, she can _,_ but w _ill she? ;)_ I'm excited too! Erza's past especially!

 **HoneyBeeFox-** And I really love you for saying so! :)

 **Singing Dove-** Happy is adorable isn' he. :) Thanks a ton. Loke will definitely be included in a future "OVA", and in the story itself as well. He's one of my favorite characters.

 **I'll work my butt off to get you Chapter Sixteen I promise! I'm sorry!**


	17. Chapter 16

**Hello again. So it's been kinda awhile, but I finally updated. I'm hoping to get chapters out more steadily, but I can't make any promises.**

 **On another note, I have myself a beta tester, so sometime in the near future, these chapters should be undergoing some improvements.**

 **Anywho, enjoy this tragedy of a chapter. :')**

* * *

Lucy hadn't ever encountered a rat before. Her old home was far too clean to house rats. She'd seen a mouse, but she found those to be cute. The things were terrifyingly ugly. Lucy could find herself developing a fear of them, especially if things didn't go well in this battle. Lucy stepped back with Cana. They pressed against each other.

Cana had her gladius pointed at the large creature and Lucy had her whip out hanging at her side. Lacaille, the pierced rat, bared its teeth and hissed. It inched toward them. Lucy remained incredibly steady. She was impressed with herself. She had feared she'd break down at the start of a fight, but it wasn't like that. She understood why she wasn't afraid. She was fighting alongside her friends, for her friends.

In the moment, it felt like she would never be afraid of anything again. She scolded herself for this thought immediately. If she kept thinking that she'd be dead in no time for sure. There were plenty of things for her to be afraid of. She had a feeling when she confronted those things, she _would_ be afraid. Terrified even. She got rid of those thoughts. She needed to focus on the now. The threat right in front of her.

The rat was large, which also meant it was strong, at least stronger than Lucy and Cana were. Its teeth and claws were sharp, each on like its own knife. Lucy could tell close combat would only work in its favor. She noted it's tail. She considered the possibility of the creature using this as a weapon as well. Its thickness would certainly knock both Lucy and Cana off there feet easily and since it was long, they didn't need to be very close to it to do so. It seemed like the only way to for sure get a hit on the creature was to take it by surprise. But what could the do to surprise it?

In this situation, Lucy's whip couldn't really do much as far as harming the creature compared to Cana's weapon, but it did have a farther range than her Gladius. Lucy considered the possibility of striking the beast in the eyes, but she didn't have much confidence in her aim with the whip yet. It was also difficult because she had no way to communicate these things with Cana. They could only trust each other to come up with a plan and act and hope the other person understood and cooperated. Lucy could see now, fighting was truly as much as a mind game as a physical one. Or maybe she was overthinking it.

The rat was inching closer and Lucy could feel them running out of time. The creature would make a move soon. Maybe that's what they wanted though. Lacaille's action could open different opportunities to them or maybe it will cause their instincts to kick and take control of the battle. Lucy took steady breaths. She decided to wait. Either Cana would come up with something, or the rat would make its move and they'd follow suit.

The waiting game they were playing made Lucy slightly impatient. But she liked the feeling it gave her. That anxious excitement that made her muscles itch. She glanced over to Cana who wore a calculating face that most likely matched the one she was making. Lucy smiled when she saw her take a swig from the flask she carried.

Lacaille took this moment to act. It pounced at Cana. It had taken the bait. Cana set up a moment where it seemed like she was distracted, but she was fully aware. Cana rolled underneath the rat so that she was behind it. Lucy was unsure of what she should do. The rat was having a moment of confusion. It was the perfect time to do something.

She glanced at Cana only to see her Gladius flying through the air towards her. Lucy dropped her whip and grabbed it. It was heavy, but she didn't think about that in the moment. Instead, her instincts flung her towards the rat who simultaneously cocked its head towards Lucy. It flung its tail towards her. Lucy managed to jump over it. Surely, it should've been impossible for her carrying such a heavy weapon, but the adrenaline worked in her favor. Lucy brought the Gladius down on the creature who squealed in pain. Lucy tried to pull the thing out again, but her arms felt weak.

"Lucy, switch with me!" Cana called. Lucy nodded in understanding and hopped over the creature large mound of fur. It thrashed wildly, its tail swinging all over breaking clocks that lined the walls. Cana raced in, dodging the creature's tail skillfully. She yanked the gladius out from the creature skillfully. Think silver blood dripped down it. Not a second later, Cana brought the sword on the creature again, this time a fatal blow.

The creature wailed, them only moment laters vanished into the air turning to a glittery silver dust. Its three gold earrings were left behind. Each of them the size of Lucy's hand. Granted her hands were fairly small. Cana scooped up the rings triumphantly. They were Fairy Tail's to keep.

* * *

Gray found himself shivering. He looked around him. He was surrounded by snow. Everything around his as white as a sheet of paper. Gray looked up, snowflakes drifted softly from the sky and landed on his tingling nose. He looked down at himself. His body was nearly completely bear, only his tight-fitting boxers to cover him. His mature and muscular physique was no longer present. Instead, in the body of an active prepubescent child. He scrunched his toes in the snow. He heard a voice of distant familiarity call to him.

"Gray! How dare you beat me here! I was gonna be the first one to show up and impress Ur!" Gray raised his head to the source of the voice. A cocky smile spread across his face instinctively was he saw a boy with spiky white hair the color of the snow around them and coal colored eyes rushing towards him in nothing but his underwear.

"Nice try Lyon!" Gray put his hands on his hips. "I wouldn't let a fool like you beat me." Lyon snarled.

"Boys you're already here? " Ur said as she was coming up the hill. "You both missed breakfast. I worked so hard on it." Ur said. Gray and Lyon frowned guiltily now.

"We're sorry, Ur!" They said.

"Well, you don't need to apologize to me. You'll be sorry enough when your stomach is growling through training. We aren't taking any breaks." She stated. Unwilling to take their anger out on Ur because of respect and fear of the woman, they turned to each other with wild looks of anger.

"Its was Gray's fault!" Lyon accused instantly.

" _My_ fault. How do you figure." Gray put his hands on his hips. "I had no idea you were planning on getting here early, just as I didn't know you were going to get here early. It's your own fault." Gray countered. Ur giggled.

"That's enough boys. Its both of your faults. You're both equally to blame. Can we agree upon that?" Ur offered. Gray nodded willingly, but Lyon mumbled a reluctant _fine_. "Good. Now let's get to work."

The days often went like this. Gray and Lyon would train with Ur on the snowy hilltop bickering relentlessly all the way through. They found any opportunity to argue with each other; to compete with each other. Ur was always quick to shut them up, however.

They weren't brothers, not really, but they might as well have been. In the same way, Ur wasn't their mother, but she was. Gray and Lyon learned everything they could from Ur. She fueled the young boys' aspirations to become adventurers.

They were happy the three of them, occasionally the four of them, once holidays and breaks rolled around. Ur had a daughter, Ultear, however, she was never around much. Ur sent her to a school a good distance away. Ultear had always been smart and a fast learner. Ur had homeschooled her for most of her elementary years, but by middle school, Ur could no longer teach her. Ultear needed a better education than what Ur was giving her. So she enrolled Ultear in the closest boarding school that would fit Ultear's educational needs. Ultear was never interested in combat and fighting, not like Gray and Lyon were. Despite the fact that she was a Key Keeper— she made sure few people knew this— she wasn't interested in becoming an adventurer.

Things could've gone on like that forever. But the thing is: all good things come to an end.

Gray and Lyon waited eagerly for Ultear to arrive. It'd been a couple months since they'd seen her, but they weren't eager for her to get there because they had missed her. They simply weren't allowed to eat until she arrived.

"Our food's gonna get cold. Can't Ultear hurry up." Lyon complained. Ur shot the boy a look.

"You like the food better cold anyway," Ur stated. "Besides, it would do you good to have some patience." Gray snickered at Lyon who kicked his bare foot against the wooden floor in frustration.

They waited there for an hour or more. The exact amount of time was unknown to them as the silence seemed to drag on for forever. Time stretched itself out so much so you couldn't tell what was an hour and what was a second. No matter how long they were in wait. Ultear still had yet to arrive and one thing was known for certain amongst them. She should have.

Ur was visibly upset. The boys, noticing her concern, made sure not to complain anymore or show impatience of any kind. By now their food was no longer fresh and instead, it was cold and dry. Though it hadn't mattered much now, none of them were hunger anymore. The time had sucked away their hunger and concern kept it from coming back. Lyon's once kicking feet began to dig into the floor. Gray stared intently at the door. _Any second,_ he said to himself in his head, _Any second Ultear will walk through that door._

There was an uneasiness in the air. They weren't certain of its origin, but it was there and it weighed on them and the silent kitchen. They felt that they need to stay deathly still and quiet, or else they'll miss something important. Something was to happen. They all had the feeling. That something was to happen. And it surely wasn't good.

The thick silence had finally been interrupted. Ur had stood up with her palms pressed firmly on the table.

"We ought to eat and go to bed," Ur stated. Lyon and Gray exchanged a look.

"Don't you think we should go out and look for her?" Gray asked. "I mean what if something happened…"

Ur sighed. "I'm sure it's fine. She won't be pleased if I make a big spectacle about it when there was nothing wrong."

"If you say so," Gray said slowly. "But what if there's really something wrong?"

"Just drop it, Gray. If Ur says it's alright it probably is." Lyon stated. Gray nodded reluctantly.

"Go on and eat," Ur stated.

"I'm not hungry," Gray stated. Lyon nodded. Ur sighed again.

"Then go onto bed. Tomorrow we'll have dinner with Ultear. I'm sure she'll be back by then." Ur said. Gray and Lyon nodded and left the table. From their room, they could here Ur cleaning up dinner. Despite not wanting to, the two boys fell asleep.

A scream ran out through the small cabin. Gray shot up from his sleep. Lyon taking not long after him to wake up to. Gray and Lyon stood up and ran from their rooms. The two boys froze in place at the scene in front of them. A man that they didn't recognize held Ur against the counter. The man's appearance was dismissed by the boys. The only thing the focused on was Ur and the knife that threatened to stab her. Ur spotted the boys before the man did. Her eyes were wide with terror. She gave them a look that she had hoped would tell them to hide, but it was no use the boys didn't understand. Even if they did, they wouldn't have left her.

"Let her go!" Lyon acted first with his plea, but Gray lept into action. He charged towards the man. He jumped frantically on his back. Gray beat at the man's chest wailing widely.

"Gray! Gray! Stop it! You'll be killed." Ur was screaming for Gray to stop.

The man flung Gray off his back in one swift movement. Gray fell into the table with a yelp. Lyon took Gray's example and ran at the man. Before Lyon could touch him, he was kicked away and fell to the floor. The man turned his attention back to Ur who'd taken the moments of distraction to arm herself with a knife of her own.

She held her arms steady with the knife pointed at the man. She lunged forward with the intention of shoving the knife into the man. The man grabbed her wrist and struck her stomach. Ur swung to the side to avoid the blow while at the same time twisted her wrist out of the man's grasp. The man took no break and swung at Ur again. This time with more impatience.

Ur ducked away from the swing and was about to strike again when the man's knee made impact with her stomach. She crouched down holding her stomach. In two short moments, she was kicked to the side. She sprawled on the ground. She struggled to get up but the man was steadily approaching. He sat on top of her, preventing her from moving. He raised his large knife, the light from the room glittering off of it.

Lyon and Gray began to charge again, but they weren't nearly fast enough. The knife plunged into Ur with the most gruesome sound that rung in the boys' ears. At the site of the blood, they erupted into a terrible rage. Gray had grabbed the knife that Ur had lost. He shoved it into the man's back without mercy as Lyon had his arms and legs wrapped around him wildly. Gray stabbed the man mercilessly until movement from the man ceased.

Gray breathed heavily. The knife fell from his hands. Lyon shoved the man's body from him and rushed to Ur. Tears streamed down his face while blood soaked his clothing. Gray let out a sudden wail. He was crying now as well. His arms wrapped around his knees and his face buried in the dark space he created between in thighs and torso.

They didn't notice when Ultear finally appeared in the doorway. Her coat and hair were covered in snow. She came running in frantically saying, "I'm so sorry the train had a delay because of the weather—" She dropped her luggage, let out a scream, and fell to her knees.

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **the real narnia:** Thanks. Yup, I just liked the idea of Igneel being able to bullshit his way out of a situation. I'm glad you liked it. Don't worry I understand your impatience and they will still be a lot more of impatience on your end, unfortunately. :) Nalu will happen eventually. ;)

 **Ashthenerdystargazer:** Well thank you :) Don't worry I wouldn't have answered that question anyway. ;) I completely understand the curiosity thing (me and curiosity never stop either). You're too flipping kind I swear. Just know this review specifically is and will be a major motivator to get my lazy butt working. Thank you so so so much :D

 **The Ancient Pheonix:** lol, i know. :)

...

 **Well anyway, have a lovely day.**

 **If you leave a review I'll love you forever.**

 **I'm excited to write Erza's past next.** its gonna be the best one cause jellal's in it ;)


	18. Chapter 17

**Its been a while since I've updated and this chapter is stupidly short, sorry.**

* * *

 _Christiaan is a strange name for a rat._ That's the only concern that crossed Gajeel's mind. Gajeel never assumed anything other than that he'd win. He didn't see the point in taking a filthy rat seriously. In fact, he was considerably underwhelmed. He hadn't imagined his first opponent with Fairy Tail would be a fat rodent.

Gajeel dug his feet into the ground and raised his fists in preparation. Christiaan, the smallest rat of the three, faced him. Its beady eyes twitched in impatience. Gajeel had been prepared to make the first move, but he didn't even have the chance to think of one, for, though Christiaan was the smallest rat, it was clearly quite swift. Its fat body seemed to do nothing to slow the rat down as its small pink feet danced across the slick tile floor straight towards Gajeel.

It took only a moment for Gajeel to take action himself. He debated dodging the large creature but decided that letting it pursue him would give him a clear opening to deliver a blow. If things went according to plan, it would only take one punch.

The rat continued to barrel towards him. Its furry body bounced up and down in a comical way and his tail flicked wildly. When the rat was a few yards away, it leaped up into the air. Its claws seemed to jut out of its feet ready to tear Gajeel to shreds. Gajeel was only momentarily taken aback by the sudden leap and watched as the rat came towards him from the air. It seemed to be moving in slow motion. Gajeel could see every tensing of the creature's muscles. His reflection shown in his shining claws. Every centimeter that the creature moved closer, the more Gajeel could see its intentions.

When the rat's claw was a mere inch from Gajeel, he grabbed it, and, with a sudden surge of effort, yanked it to the side. The rat was flung to the right, but not nearly as far as Gajeel would've liked. The rat landed and took off toward him as soon as his stance was sturdy. The rat ran with more anger than before. Its eyes were glossy with frustration and twitching with impatience. The rat seemed to be picking up speed, fueled by the anger of his defeat.

Christiaan didn't leap this time but instead slashed its large claws at Gajeel several times in a row with admirable speed. Gajeel jumped to the sides with each swipe. The rat wasn't letting up. It continued to move toward Gajeel sweeping its ugly feet at him, never giving Gajeel a moment to think about anything other than dodging. Gajeel could sense the logic behind its attack. It was trying to tire him. And its working, slowly but surely.

Gajeel noted this as strange. Silver rooms had never been a problem before. He was sure, a few years before, that rat would've been finished already with one blow. He dawned on him how out of practice he was. And while he was certain without a doubt he'd be able to defeat the rat, the fact that he had to put this much effort into it was troubling. For some reason, Fairy Tail's dream of becoming the best seemed really far away in that moment. He was sure that the others couldn't feel it, but he did. They still had a long way to go if Fairy Tail wanted to become the best. He remembered how strong Phantom Lord was. Compared to them, Fairy Tail was nothing but a bunch of wannabes.

The thought made Gajeel angry at himself. He needed to believe in Fairy Tail. He owed them that much. No matter how far away it seemed to him, Fairy Tail would become the best. They had to. After all, Fairy Tail's spirit was unmatched.

Gajeel played the rat's game a little while longer, he watched closely for an opportunity. It would only take a small lapse and this would be over. Behind him, Lucy and Cana were fighting Lacaille. Gajeel could see them in Christiaan's glassy eyes. Gajeel was impressed with the communication between the two. Gajeel almost couldn't believe it was Lucy's first time in a fight. Gajeel watched as Cana brought he gladius down on the creature. Its blood splattered into the air in shimmery silver droplets.

Christiaan's eyes shifted and seemed to dim. The time between attacks was longer and Gajeel was able to jump up into the air. He straightened his feet and brought himself down onto the rat skull. Christiaan's head was drilled into the ground with an ugly cracking sound. Gajeel stood on the creatures flatted skull for a grim moment. There was a slight uneasiness as Gajeel looked into the creature's eyes which were now cloudy, but strangely sad. Gajeel stared at its pitiful expression as it slowly began to dissolve into a glittery dust that seemed far too beautiful to belong to such an ugly creature.

Gajeel let out a hefty sigh and stared down the endless hallway of clocks. Laxus was smashing at the walls like a madman in the distance.

* * *

Natsu raised his sword to the creature eagerly. It had been too long since he'd been able to really fight something. He had been itching to have a chance to use his sword. Plus, his friends were in danger, which only made his blood boil more.

Horologii was the largest of the rats. Its eyes were a deep black that seemed to stare right into Natsu.

 _This is it Natsu. This is where it begins. This is the start of everything that matters. That boiling in your blood will only increase. The things to face ahead are nothing compared to this little rat. This is truly the beginning of everything._

Natsu turned his mind off of the whispers and tightened his grip on the sword. Natsu couldn't help but get the feeling the rat could hear the whispers to, as its eyes seemed to narrow. Natsu matched the rat's expression. He wanted his gaze to reach into it the way it did to him. This was his first real battle in a room, but that meant nothing. Defeating this creature would not be a problem. Natsu knew this for certain.

Natsu took a small step forward. The black rat tensed and watched Natsu intensely. Natsu lowered himself and adjusted his grip on his sword. He could tell the creature was reading him. Natsu needed to read him too. However, no matter how hard he looked at the creature, it seemed to have no emotion. Its eyes stared blankly ahead. And while it tensed at Natsu's movements it did nothing else. Its breathing was steady. The heap of black went up and down at a constant rate. The creature's steadiness was unsettling to Natsu. It felt as though the creature knew everything in his mind. Without meaning to Natsu's heart quickened and his hands seemed to sweat. He knew this is what the creature wanted. Natsu was doubting himself. He was reading to much into the creature's intentions.

Natsu closed his eyes. His adjusted his grip once more. His was able to focus himself. In that moment of focus, he could feel a strange powerful warmth from far away. It felt like Lucy in a strange way. He could also feel a cold pulsing against his chest that was Ether. He could feel the rat in front of him. Its presence was barely there. It only took that for Natsu to know it was weak. Its expression hadn't been calmness but ignorance.

Natsu opened his eyes, completely sure now. When his eyes met with Horologii for the final time he was sure that the rat couldn't read him. It was completely unsure. Natsu dashed forward. The rat in front of him was noticeably surprised. In one fluid and powerful movement, Natsu slashed into the rat who stood frozen. Horologii erupted into silver that rained on Natsu that would've looked rather triumphant to anyone who was to witness it.

 _It has begun Natsu Dragneel. Can you feel it? You'll both be able to carry the worlds._

"Shut up. I don't need your mindless whispers."

Natsu pressed his eyes closed and smiled.

* * *

I'm going to work on the next chapter throughout the next week. I'm expecting it to be pretty long.

 **Happy 2018 and Have a lovely day as always.**

leaving a review really keeps me motivated if you wanna send one my way

(This fanfiction is over a hundred pages long according to word counter. I never thought I'd be able to write that long of a story in my life :') )


	19. A signal of the end and An authors note

**Hey guys! No, I'm not dead. It might've seemed like it though. I feel really terrible for not updating this is in forever, and I really don't have any good excuses. I've been working on the next chapter on and off for a while feeling completely defeated. It really is the worst case of writer's block I've encountered in all my years of living. I will work my very very best to get the next chapter to you soon and make sure its the best it can be. I've been trying to go back and edit my previous chapters so they're a bit more detailed and have fewer errors. You can go back and read them, but its really not necessary cause all the major details are the same.**

 **In addition to writer's block, I started another Fairy Tail fanfic, which probably wasn't the best idea, but I just really couldn't help myself. The first chapter is the longest chapter I've ever written and it took me ages to finish, but I'm really proud of it so far, so I'd appreciate if you'd check it out. :) I'm also currently working on the next chapter of that, which I've equally excited about.**

 **I've also have been beta-ing hoping to get a little inspo and motivation.**

 **And I've considered doing a fanfic for another anime besides Fairy Tail, but its bit daunting to me. I might put it off until I'm in a good place with my current fanfics. (It'd probably be Boku No Hero Acadamia. Season three is soo good! Todoroki is my crush. Midoriya is my fave cause he's so cute. And I relate to Ururaka the most. Twice is my favorite villain. And I really dislike Grape head, but pretty much everyone does, so I feel kinda bad for him.)**

 **Anyway, I wrote this as a little treat for you guys while you're waiting patiently. Its actually pretty depressing and I didn't expect it to turn out that way. I was originally gonna do something stupid and silly, but we got this instead.**

 **Please be patient with me. I know it sucks to be kept waiting. I hate waiting so I know how it feels. (So does Layla Heartfilia)TuT**

* * *

 **A signal of the End**

Four months before Layla and Igneel's Parting

In Layla Heartfilia's Perspective

o-o-o-o-o-o

He's snoring so loud. How am I'm going to fall asleep with him making so much noise? I'm going insane, I'm really going insane. This is why I go to sleep before him. But the stupid idiot had to go and drink the town out of house and home. I glare at him. He's on his back, the blanket half off of him, his bare chest exposed, mouth hanging open with drool dripping down the side of his mouth, and his limbs sprawled out in ways that they shouldn't be able to.

I swear he's part animal. But I guess I love him anyway because, despite the struggles he puts me through on a daily basis, I can't help but smile and laugh along with him. I think that loving him is probably dangerous. I think that maybe I shouldn't. I really can't help it though. Not when he smiles at me the way he does. Not when I see him fight anything that gets in his way. Not when I see that fire in his eyes when he's determined.

I pull my feet to my chest and rest my head on my knees. I try to look at him from a different angle. One that isn't hung up onto hope for a happy ending. I've never loved anyone before. The first time almost always fails, doesn't it? So I should probably not get so hung up on it. I wouldn't call you dense, you just seem uninterested. You've been alone all your life, and you don't really have a desire to seek out company. I feel like I'm always chasing after you. I feel like you're stringing me along.

What if I told you that I met someone else that I thought I could come to love? Maybe even more than you? What would you do? Would you jump into action or would you just let me go? Because I think I know that answer. And it isn't the one I would want. Somehow, I know that if you lost me, you'd be okay. Somehow, I know, that it wouldn't be that hard for you to let me go.

"If you let me go, I'll really leave. I'll really give up. And hopefully, I'll love someone else more than I would think possible." I find myself saying into my knees, partly just to myself, but mostly in hopes that somehow he'd hear me. But I know he doesn't. He usually doesn't listen when I talk.

"I met a man named Jude while purchasing keys from a merchant guild called Love and Lucky about a month ago. He was sweet to me. He was very different from you. He really knew how to smile in a way that I've never seen anyone else smile. And when he looked at me, he looked right into me, and it sent shivers down my spine. That's never happened with you before."

I think I'm probably crying now, but I don't bother to wipe my tears. I let them run down my cheeks, because if I didn't I know I'd end up feeling heavy; crushed up the weight. See what happens when you don't let me sleep? I start to think too much and I start to feel too much. I might as well get it all out, because then maybe it will be easier when the time comes for us to part ways. I can feel it. I know you feel it do. Our time is running out.

"I really do wish our adventures could last forever, but I don't think I can keep going much longer. I can't do this forever. I can't. I want something solid. I want, I want a family. I want a happily ever after. I don't want to defeat rooms till I can't walk anymore. I don't want my life to end that way. I don't want to die in a room alone with no one but ourselves to remember us. I fear that's how you'll go if you keep insisting on going on like this."

I bite my lip. I can't help it, I reach out and grab his hand. I hold it tightly. Even so, I know he won't wake up.

"I keep waiting for you. But I can only wait so much."

 ** _Fin_**

* * *

 **I will work my ass off to get the next chapter done before summer's over. For my sake and yours!**

(Oh and Earthland Mages. I'm so consumed with this story I forget it exists. So so so sorry for anyone that reads that.)

Always remember to have a lovely day. :)


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